Nigeria has adopted the International Civil Aviation Organization’s e-passport verification system, allowing Nigerian electronic passports to be authenticated more efficiently at border control points in countries that are members of the ICAO Public Key Directory.
The Nigeria Immigration Service announced the development in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
The adoption follows the successful import of all of Nigeria’s Country Signing Certificate Authorities into the ICAO PKD, establishing the digital chain of trust required for border control authorities in member states to verify the authenticity of Nigerian e-passports.
According to the NIS, the milestone was achieved during a ceremony held on Monday, July 13, 2026, at the ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada, where all of Nigeria’s existing CSCAs were successfully integrated into the ICAO PKD.
The exercise, led by the Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, was carried out to address the passive authentication challenges encountered by some Nigerian passport holders at certain foreign border control points.
The Nigeria Immigration Service said the successful completion of the process enables Nigerian e-passports to be seamlessly authenticated by border control systems across all ICAO PKD member states.
“With the completion of the import process of all Nigeria’s existing CSCAs on the ICAO Public Key Directory to establish a chain of trust, Nigerian Passports can now be verified seamlessly by border control systems in all ICAO PKD member states,” the statement read in part.
The NIS said the milestone underscores its sustained investment in secure digital identity management and international border security cooperation, in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Service added that the achievement reinforces its commitment to enhancing the integrity of Nigeria’s travel documents, promoting global interoperability, and facilitating seamless border clearance for holders of Nigerian passports.
The International Civil Aviation Organization Public Key Directory is a centralized platform that enables countries to securely exchange the digital certificates needed to verify electronic passport at border control points.
Rather than relying on bilateral exchanges of passport verification data, the ICAO PKD allows participating countries to upload their own digital certificates and access those of other member states through a single, secure system.
This ensures compliance with ICAO’s technical standards, enhances global interoperability, and supports the reliable and continuous authentication of e-passports worldwide.
