The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has rolled out an enhanced passport monitoring characteristic in response to rising public complaints over delays in passport issuance and assortment.
This was disclosed in an replace posted by the Service on X on January 15, 2026.
The event follows weeks of heightened criticism from passport candidates, together with outstanding Nigerians, who’ve taken to social media to precise frustration with the method.
Based on the NIS, the up to date system introduces a brand new standing—“PRODUCED (PASSPORT PRODUCED, READY FOR COLLECTION)”—to the present passport tracker.
The characteristic is meant to present candidates clearer visibility on when their passports are prepared for pickup or courier supply, thereby decreasing uncertainty round processing timelines.
What they’re saying
In its assertion, the NIS mentioned the replace grew to become vital after discovering that tons of of passports had already been produced however remained uncollected, contributing to rising complaints.
The Service mentioned the brand new tracker standing would assist candidates distinguish between manufacturing delays and passports which can be prepared however but to be retrieved.
“This replace enhances the present monitoring system, and helps candidates keep knowledgeable about timelines for passports produced and awaiting assortment (for bodily assortment) or produced however not delivered (for courier supply),” the Service acknowledged.
The announcement comes amid widespread public outcry on X, the place customers have reported delays stretching into a number of months, in addition to allegations of deliberate bottlenecks throughout the system.
Social media complaints
One of the vital outstanding complaints got here from investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo, who shared his expertise of ready over six months for a passport renewal, regardless of finishing fee and biometric seize in July 2025.
- His submit, which attracted over 1,400 likes and tons of of reposts, criticised the immigration course of and accused the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of failing to ship promised reforms.
“It’s now six months since I paid and utilized for the renewal of my worldwide passport,” Soyombo wrote, describing the reforms as “gallery play and public sentiment manipulation.”
In response, the NIS acknowledged that Soyombo’s passport had already been produced and was prepared for supply. The Service added that delays can generally come up from incomplete purposes or technical points on the platform.
Allegations of sabotage and bribery
Past particular person complaints, a number of candidates accused immigration officers of intentionally irritating the net software course of to extract bribes.
- One applicant claimed their passport was delayed for 4 months after refusing to pay for “specific” processing on the Abuja passport workplace.
- Others alleged that officers deliberately fail to replace software statuses on the portal, pushing candidates to pay further for urgency.
- The NIS has indirectly addressed the bribery allegations however reiterated its dedication to an environment friendly, clear passport system aligned with international greatest practices.
What you must know
Final 12 months, the NIS introduced a sweeping enhance within the costs of the nation’s passports, citing the necessity to enhance effectivity and high quality of the doc.
For a 32-page passport with 5-year validity, the worth was elevated from N50,000 to N100,000.
Based on the Service, a 64-page passport with 10-year validity now prices N200,000, a 100% enhance from the N100,000 price Nigerians had been paying earlier than the increment, which took impact from September 1, 2025.
That increment got here because the second inside 12 months. Earlier in August 2024, the Service had introduced a worth hike that noticed the worth of the 32-page passport leap from N35,000 to N50,000.