In an endeavor to provide Nigerians with efficient service, the Federal Government has opened a Passport Front Office in Auchi, Edo State. This coincides with the debut of the passport home delivery service that was promised.
Independent News reported that speaking at the opening of the Nigeria Immigration Service Passport Front Desk Office in Auchi, Edo State, on Saturday, Interior Minister, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola stated that the government intends to issue passports to anyone who requests one in a timely manner, affordably, and without undue stress.
He added that the opening of a new Passport Front Desk Office was crucial since the Nigerian Passport serves as proof of identity, particularly for those who reside outside of the nation and for whom the inability to present it upon request could have adverse effects.
“There are two basic reasons why what we’re doing here is important. The first is Nigerians’ right and requirement to possess a Nigerian passport, especially those who live abroad.”
Aregbesola also disclosed that Edo State has one of the highest rates of passport applications in Nigeria, and he added that the recent rise in demand would lengthen the delay between submitting an application and picking it up.
“Our current working schedule is that new applications would take six weeks following the registration of biometric data and three weeks for renewal,” he stated. This is realistic, competitive, and in accordance with best practices used around the world.
However, he revealed that the Federal Government has made a deliberate decision to create more front desk offices in order to boost the registration centers and shorten the wait time before collecting biometric data.
The interior minister also suggested that candidates use the Nigeria Immigration Service website to submit their applications rather than going through intermediaries.
He bemoaned the frequency of a few dishonest bureaucrats manipulating the system, seizing applications, increasing prices, extorting money from applicants, and concealing passports that had already been issued.
“I will therefore beg applicants not to go through them and other touts who are soliciting business outside passport offices.
“The Nigeria Immigration Service page allows you to submit the application from the comfort of your own home using an Android phone. You don’t require a middleman. Patronizing them encourages their criminal activity and undermines our attempts to be transparent and offer smooth service.”
The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Isah Jere Idris, stated that the choice of the Auchi front office is appropriate because Edo State ranks fifth among states with the greatest number of domestic passport applications.
“Of the 1.5 million passports produced in Nigeria over the last 365 days, Edo state has processed 56,291 applications,” he claimed. Without a doubt, the opening of this front office will significantly reduce traffic in Edo State and other neighboring States.
