Nigeria makes history, becomes first in Africa to launch e-passport offices in Italy, Spain, others

The Nigerian government has opened e-passport facilities at some selected Nigerian Embassies in Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria, and Switzerland.

Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior unveiled the facilities in Rome, Italy, on Monday, 6th November 2023.

He said the development is directed towards streamlining passport processing and acquisition for Nigerians residing in the diaspora.

Enhanced e-passports will be rolled out in phases

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Dr Dotun Aridegbe, disclosed this in a statement titled ‘Federal Government Unveils Enhanced e-Passport Facilities in Europe.’

The enhanced e-passport will be rolled out in phases in Europe, according to the Minister of Interior, who was represented by Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, Acting Comptroller-General of Immigration.

Phase one which encompasses Spain, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy was unveiled in Rome this Monday. Punch reported that the Phase two is expected to go into effect by the end of this week.

He added that the e-passport satisfies all requirements established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. According to him, this makes Nigeria the first nation in Africa and the fifth globally to adopt this technical marvel.

According to the minister, the enhanced e-passport will solve the problem of processing delays in Europe. He stated that this is provided that applicants adhere strictly to application guidelines.

An important guideline includes utilizing the online application and payment platform at passport.immigration.gov.ng.

In addition, applicants will need to ensure that information on their passport synchronizes with that of the National Identification Number.

Earlier, the interior minister announced that Nigerians will have their passports delivered to their homes, offices, or wherever they want, starting February 2024. To get an international passport in Nigeria, the process of getting an international passport has been broken down in a legit.ng article.