Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to send new passport printers to the Nigerian Consulates in Atlanta and New York, USA.

This comes just days after a petition from a group of Nigerians in the diaspora highlighted challenges faced by individuals in need of consular services in these cities.

Responding to the petition, Tunji-Ojo confirmed the receipt of the appeal and announced that the NIS would immediately deploy new printers to the passport offices in both locations. These printers are ready for installation as a short-term solution to resolve the issue swiftly.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, Tunji-Ojo also revealed a long-term plan to streamline the passport issuance process. This includes activating the Passport Personalisation Centre in Abuja within the next few weeks and expanding the contactless application solution to more countries.

The ministry has also implemented end-to-end automation of the passport application process, which has already been rolled out in Canada.

The minister assured Nigerians that the government, under President Bola Tinubu, is committed to enhancing national security while making passport services more convenient and accessible.

Channelstv