ICIR NIGERIA
THE Nigerian Government has explained why the average passport processing time of three and six weeks for renewals and first-time applicants respectively, may be exceeded.
The Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola, who spoke to journalists after a high level meeting in Abuja on Thursday, January 26, said the increasing emigration of Nigerians from the nation in quest of better opportunities abroad, a phenomenon now known as “Japa syndrome,” was driving up demand for passports.
Aregbesola added that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) issued 1.9 million passport booklets in 2022 alone, nearly double the one million issued in the corresponding period of 2021.
“This is about 80 per cent increase and it is unprecedented,” the minister stated.
He said the Ministry of Interior was working closely with the NIS to constantly reform the passport administration process in order to deliver improved services to Nigerians at all times.
