The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has processed 8,552 passport applications across four countries as part of a targeted intervention initiative aimed at reducing backlogs for Nigerians living abroad.
According to an official statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, the special enrollment exercises were carried out in the United States, Canada, Qatar, and the United Kingdom.
The initiative was launched following a directive from the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in collaboration with Nigerian diplomatic missions and diaspora community representatives.
A breakdown of the figures reveals that the exercise registered 535 applicants across Chicago, Michigan, and Milwaukee in the United States, while 2,257 citizens were enrolled across five Canadian locations, including Manitoba, Toronto, Saskatoon, Alberta, and New Brunswick. In Qatar, the NIS successfully processed 751 applications.
The largest turnout was recorded in the United Kingdom, where 5,099 applicants have been enrolled so far across London and Manchester in an exercise that remains ongoing.
The NIS confirmed that passport production and dispatch are taking place concurrently with enrollments in the United Kingdom to ensure rapid turnaround times.
To further ease the administrative burden on citizens, the Service highlighted that applicants who face scheduling conflicts or prefer to bypass physical centre visits can utilise the Contactless Passport Application System.
Reaffirming its mandate, the NIS emphasised its commitment to delivering accessible, efficient, and timely passport services to Nigerians worldwide.
