The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has denied studies that any area of the nation has been barred from passport issuance, insisting that no a part of Nigeria has been excluded from entry to the service.
The clarification was contained in a press assertion issued on Saturday, February 7, 2026, by the NIS Public Relations Officer, A.S. Akinlabi.
Based on the Service, the claims stem from a misunderstanding of its ongoing reforms geared toward modernising passport manufacturing and administration nationwide.
The denial follows rising public concern and media studies suggesting that passport manufacturing actions in components of the nation, notably the South-East, have been being halted, elevating fears of restricted entry for candidates.
The NIS mentioned these narratives have been deceptive and able to producing pointless pressure if left unaddressed.
What they’re saying
Akinlabi defined that the NIS is implementing a phased onboarding system emigrate passport places of work, together with these in overseas missions, to a centralised manufacturing framework. He mentioned the initiative is a part of broader reforms that started in 2024 to strengthen effectivity, safety, and integrity in passport administration.
- “The eye of the Nigeria Immigration Service has been drawn to a baseless on-line report claiming {that a} particular area of the nation has been disqualified from passport issuance. NIS categorically states that this report is completely false and a gross misrepresentation of the continued authorities reforms to modernize passport administration.”
- “The fact is that NIS has launched a phased onboarding system emigrate passport places of work, together with these in overseas missions, to a centralized manufacturing framework.”
- “This modernization effort, which started in 2024, is designed to boost the effectivity, integrity and safety of Nigeria’s passport manufacturing system and never exclude any citizen.”
- “Consequently, the service has established a strict work-plan calendar to make sure this transition is seamless and doesn’t disrupt supply timelines because the objective is to drive the method in the direction of higher effectivity.”
The NIS spokesperson added that passport places of work in a number of North-East and North-Central states have already been efficiently onboarded, alongside 35 worldwide stations throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, whereas migration for the South-East states and extra overseas missions is at the moment ongoing.
Backstory
Issues over passport entry intensified following media studies of rising pressure throughout South-Jap states over allegations that the area’s solely worldwide passport manufacturing centre, positioned on the NIS zonal headquarters in Enugu, is perhaps shut down.
The studies claimed that such a transfer might disrupt pressing journey plans for hundreds of candidates.
Based on the studies, a senior NIS workers member, who was quoted anonymously, alleged that the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had directed that passport manufacturing actions on the Enugu facility be halted.
It was additional alleged that purposes from South-Jap states could be redirected to Abuja or Lagos for processing.
- The Enugu passport manufacturing centre at the moment serves the 5 South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.
- The centre is very important for emergency passport processing for candidates throughout the zone.
- Experiences additionally alleged {that a} technical workforce from Abuja had begun dismantling key passport manufacturing machines on the facility.
These studies triggered public anxiousness and hypothesis about attainable regional exclusion earlier than the NIS issued its formal clarification.
Why it issues
The clarification from the NIS is critical as a result of any restriction on passport issuance alongside regional traces would elevate critical issues about fairness, entry, and inclusive governance. Passport companies are a important federal operate, and entry to them has direct implications for residents’ mobility, employment, training, and emergency journey wants.
- The Enugu passport manufacturing centre serves thousands and thousands of residents throughout the South-East and performs an important function in routine and emergency passport processing.
- Any disruption would drive candidates to journey lengthy distances to Abuja or different areas, rising prices and delays.
- Such a improvement would additional pressure an already overstretched passport processing system nationwide.
Past logistics, the problem touches on broader questions of federal character and balanced distribution of nationwide infrastructure, making the NIS response notably essential in calming public issues.
What it is best to know
The Federal Authorities has been rolling out a number of digital and administrative reforms within the immigration and identification administration area to enhance service supply. In November 2025, the federal government introduced plans to launch the Single Journey Emergency Passport (STEP) system in January as a part of these reforms.
- The STEP initiative is designed to assist Nigerians overseas who lose their passports generate emergency journey paperwork digitally.
- The system will enable affected residents to finish the method utilizing cellular gadgets with out visiting Nigerian embassies in individual.
- STEP is anticipated to enhance different initiatives such because the ECOWAS Nationwide Biometric Identification Card, which facilitates regional journey and enhances border safety.
Based on the NIS, these reforms, together with the centralised passport manufacturing framework, are supposed to increase entry, enhance effectivity, and be certain that no Nigerian is excluded from important immigration companies.
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