Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo inaugurated the new facility at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, calling it a “game-changing reform” for citizens at home and abroad.

“For the first time in 62 years, Nigeria is running a single passport production hub,” Tunji-Ojo said. “This ends the era of inefficiency and ensures Nigerians get value for their money.”

The new system, built in partnership with IRISMAT Technologies, is capable of producing up to 1,000 passports per hour and 5,000 per day, compared with just 250–300 at each of the previous centres. Officials say it will clear the backlog of more than 200,000 applications inherited by the current administration.

The reform also aligns Nigeria with global standards for document security, ensuring uniformity across travel booklets. Authorities say the move will strengthen the integrity of Nigerian passports, which have often been plagued by forgery concerns.

But the efficiency drive comes at a higher cost to citizens. As of September 1, the price of a 32-page passport valid for five years has doubled to ₦100,000, while a 64-page passport with 10-year validity now costs ₦200,000.

Officials argue the higher fees reflect both the improved technology and the need for sustainable operations. Critics, however, say the cost will further burden ordinary Nigerians already struggling with inflation.

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TECHDIGEST –  An overload of demands on the server of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is stalling ability of network operators to reactivate over 75 million phone lines blocked since April 5 when government deadline elapsed for individual’s National Identification Number (NIN) to be mandatorily linked to their Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card.

The NIM-SIM link process had more than 80 million captured data integrated but nearly that number also have been blocked as unverifiable lines.

Also, immigration authorities are blaming inability for new passport issuance or renewal on the technical blackout from Nigeria’s identity management agency as the ‘NIMC server logjam’ impacts negatively across sectors including the financial industry where banks customers are on strenuous queues awaiting feedbacks on their NIM/SIM to BVN integration.

Financial transactions without linked data are automatically invalidated leaving many businesses particularly small medium enterprises (SMEs) on edge. Telcos are putting the blame on NIMC which had an unforeseen downtime weeks back forcing a “massive backlogs of request for validations that will take weeks to resolve,” said someone knowledgeable about the challenges in NIMC to IT Edge News in Abuja.

READ ALSO : FG Extends NIN-SIM Verification As NIN Enrolments Surpass 71 Million

“Right now, the servers are overwhelmed, proned to invalidate or even not validate already linked data of NIN and SIM owners. Backend integration is not happening within expected real-time so from a technical point of view it will take a long time to get things seamlessly running and bring succour to those affected,” the expert added.

When already linked lines are invalidated, it forces the subscriber to repeat the entire process all over again with resultant “waste of time and money,” said one angry phone subscriber in Lagos.

The umbrella body for telecom operators, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said slow verification from NIMC remains a major challenge as operators cannot reactivate blocked lines without verification. NIMC controls the central database and must confirm all NINs before linkage can be effected to get the phone working again for any subscriber.

Ordinarily, verification should be instant. But it could take days with clogs of data awaiting attention from NIMC’s end. The implication is a pile up of frustrations across the country and across sectors.

“The problem is the inability to link your biodata with your NIN. That is beyond our control. The server of NIMC might be down, it rarely happens, but it does happen,“ said Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Abdulrauf Aregbesola.

His ministry’s supervises the Nigeria Immigration Services (IMS) incapacitated to issue new international passports owing to technical challenges from the NIMC data server.

To further reduce rising cases of kidnapping for ransom and other security challenges, the government made NIN-SIM mandatory in December 2020 occasioned by multiple deadline extensions to fuel critics warning that the entire exercise was being stampeded without proper planning.

Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, thinks a more cohesive approach by all stakeholders including telcos, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and NIMC could help to allay mounting anxieties over economic and social losses while NIMC works the data surge.

Source : ITedgenews

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TECHDIGEST – The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, has applauded Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for launching its Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) Platform, today, at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja.

The EDMS launched by NIS is a key component of any digital transformation strategy and information governance effort, which uses automated techniques to transfer files electronically, manage records regardless of format, maintenance, use and disposition of records.

Abdullahi noted that, the NIS is lucky to have visionary leader like Comptroller General, Muhammad Babandede; a game changer, who has focus to move the Service forward through various digital transformation initiatives.

He said, “I have known the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service for long, he is a man of qualities; a game changing leader, not a trailblazer, because he changes things, and make an impact. Whatever he tries to do, he thinks different, and creates value. When I look at the NIS building, I can say Immigration is second to none in Nigeria.”

The NITDA boss expressed his satisfaction on the ways NIS is using new models to digitise its process for operational excellence, cost saving and efficiency, which is in line with Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).

He said, “I am aware that the Comptroller General of the NIS is working on how to use emerging technologies to come up with new business processes that will improve service delivery. He is already working on using Artificial Intelligence for operational basis.”

While explaining the reasons behind NIS adoption of paperless operation, the CGI stated that NIS wants to manage electronic files and documents from the CGI’s office down to CG’s office across the country.

He said there is need to adopt EDMS from the traditional records management of physical record. According to him, EDMS captures records as part of a digital business process.

The CGI explained that his Service embraced digital transmission of documents, not paper copies that pile up in boxes, storerooms or warehouses, adding that this will enable NIS to create efficiencies by improving automation of its activities, providing accurate auditing and applying records schedules reliably.

He also thanked NITDA for the unwavering support it has been rendering to all the technology projects carried out by the NIS.

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