Application for passport booklets has been suspended for an additional one week by the Nigeria Immigration Service.
In a statement released on Tuesday, June 1, the agency said the applications which were scheduled to resume on June 1, will now commence on June 8.
According to NIS’ spokesperson Amos Okpu, the congestion at its issuing centres will not allow the Service to accommodate new applications.
The statement read “This situation will not allow the Service to accommodate new applications especially considering our desire to ensure that people who come to our offices comply with all the COVID-19 protocols. Consequent upon the above, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has extended the commencement of the new passport regime earlier scheduled for June 1, 2021, by one week till June 8, 2021. The Comptroller General of Immigration assures all of the full commitment to improved service delivery to all passport applicants and others. Passport Control Officers have been directed to continue to send out short message notifications for collection to all applicants who indicated functional contact details/numbers in their applications while efforts have been intensified to clear up the remaining applications in some Centres.”