Fed Govt Launches Enhanced Passport in UK

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Fed Govt launches enhanced passport in UK

The Federal Government yesterday restated its commitment to improve passport application process for Nigerians at home and in diaspora, as it launches the new enhanced passport.

Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola gave the assurance at the rollout of the Enhanced e-Passport at the Nigerian High Commission in London, United Kingdom.

Aregbesola, who said the passport is the highest affirmation of Nigerian citizenship, noted that it is the responsibility of government to provide the passport without any stress, within a reasonable period.

“What we have come to do here is symbolic of the core mandate of the Ministry of Interior and indeed, the Federal Government of Nigeria – affirmation of citizenship integrity. The 

“As we are all aware, there have been huge challenges to passport administration, from shortage of booklet to touting and an economy of corruption built around it. These challenges have persisted for too long and a lot of people have become cynical while other have taken them as normal and then roll with it. But I come from a tradition of problem solving in public administration. I do not believe that any problem is insurmountable. So, we are going to solve all the problems associated with passport administration and we are already succeeding,” the minister declared.

Revealing the features of the new enhanced passport, Aregbesola stated that it is a huge improvement from the standard passport that was introduced in 2007. With more sophisticated security features, he said the passport is one of the most secured passports in the world.

 Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Isa Jere, spoke of the service’s readiness to meet the demands for passports in the United Kingdom, adding that his officers are ready to roll out the new passports at the official rate published on the NIS website.

At the event were the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola; senior Nigerian diplomats; members of the diplomatic corps, Nigerians in diaspora amongst others.