The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) is making significant strides towards enhancing its service delivery to citizens with the introduction of a passport home delivery service. This initiative aligns with the federal government’s commitment to ensuring efficient and convenient processes for Nigerians.
On Saturday, Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, unveiled a new Front Desk office for the immigration service passport office in Auchi, Edo State, where he disclosed the forthcoming home delivery service. The NIS is currently in advanced discussions with NIPOST, the national postal service, to leverage their speed mail service for the secure and efficient delivery of passports to applicants.
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Aregbesola highlighted the current timeline for passport issuance, stating that fresh applications require six weeks after biometric data registration, while renewals take three weeks. These timelines are deemed reasonable, competitive, and in line with global best practices.
However, the challenge lies in the waiting period at the application and data registration stage. Depending on the chosen center, applicants are placed in a queue, which can result in a waiting period of up to two months in highly competitive centers with high application volumes.
To address this issue, the NIS aims to establish more front offices similar to the one in Auchi, ultimately reducing the waiting period to a maximum of three days.
Expanding the number of front offices will significantly decrease the waiting time for applicants. In the long run, the NIS plans to involve private operators who will provide comfortable lounges for a fee, while the necessary equipment and personnel will be provided by the NIS itself.
The introduction of the passport home delivery service, in collaboration with NIPOST, signifies a progressive step by the NIS to enhance accessibility and convenience for Nigerians in obtaining their passports.
This development is expected to streamline the application process and alleviate the waiting time experienced by many applicants.
