The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (CGI), Muhammad Babandede, has announced the reopening of the passport application and payment portal effective from 12 midnight of June 8 to allow eligible passport applicants to apply and make payments for the various categories of passports of their choices.
The passport portal was closed following the directives of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on May 17 to afford the Service the opportunity to clear all backlogs of applications that have piled up across Issuing Centres in the past few months.
The reopening of the portal means that a new passport application and payment regime has commenced.
Under the new passport regime, applications and payments for passport services shall be made through the Service website: www.immigration.gov.ng and applicants are expected to visit the portal to apply and upload their support documents for vetting and processing.
A chat room facility to guide applicants through the application and payment process has been provided on the portal, and upon successful applications, applicants shall make their online booking interview/enrollment appointment on any day, time and location they consider convenient.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Amos Okpu, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, Service Public Relations Officer, said:
‘The new timeline for passport production and issuance after a successful enrollment at the selected Issuing Centre shall be six weeks for Fresh applications and three weeks for Re-issue (Renewal applications); that no applicant who is yet to make online application and payment shall be allowed into any of the Passport Issuing Centres for passport processing; applicants will be contacted through email and phone number they provided during application when their passports are ready; a helpline with number 08021819988 has been provided for feedback mechanism on any challenges.’
The Comptroller General, Muhammad Babandede, called on Nigerians and indeed passport applicants to avoid patronizing touts as the entire process has been made seamless for effective and efficient service delivery.
He warned passport racketeers to desist from acts capable of undermining the reform efforts to avoid very strict sanctions.
– The Sun