The Nigeria Immigration Service has introduced a centralised passport personalisation system with the capacity to produce up to 5,000 passports daily, a sharp increase from the previous 250–300 output spread across multiple centres.

Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed the development on Thursday during an inspection of the new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS headquarters in Abuja, describing it as a transformative reform for passport processing in the country.

“For the first time in 62 years, NIS is operating a single central passport production hub. This project is 100 per cent ready, and it will allow Nigeria to be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.

The Minister noted that with the new facility, the NIS can now process and meet daily passport demands within just four to five hours, significantly improving delivery timelines.

He explained that the reform would drastically reduce processing delays, moving Nigeria closer to its target of one-week passport delivery.

The facility, developed in partnership with IRISMAT Technologies Limited, is equipped with advanced machines that can produce up to 1,000 passports per hour.

“We promised two-week delivery, but with automation and optimisation, we are now pushing for one week.

“This centre puts an end to the era of backlogs and delays. When this administration came on board, we inherited over 204,000 pending applications. That chapter is now closed. Everything is automated and efficient, ensuring Nigerians get value for their money,” Ojo stated.

The push for greater efficiency in passport issuance, however, comes with added costs, as Nigerians will now be required to pay double the previous amount to obtain the document.