Pat Stevens/
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) yesterday began the issuance of Nigeria passport with 10-year validity.
It however said that it has become mandatory for passport applicants to have the National Identity Number (NIN).
It explained that the enhanced polycarbonate passport with 64 pages is embedded with the NIN.
The NIS Public Relations Officer, DCI Sunday James, told journalists yesterday in Abuja that the new passport was part of the reform approved by the Federal Government to improve the quality and security of the travel document as well as reduce the incidence of damage, counterfeit, and forgery.
He gave the cost of the new passport as N70,000.
He stated: “The National Identity Number is compulsory for all applicants of the new document. To make it easy for applicants, the Nigeria Immigration Service has provided space for National Identity Management Commission at the service headquarters, Abuja to register applicants and issue to them the NIN.
“The public are advised not to rush for the new booklet as the new enhanced passport will run concurrently with the old one.”
James further explained that applicants holding passports with more than six months validity are not eligible for the new booklet except in the case of damage, change of data and those whose booklets were exhausted.
He advised applicants to pay online or directly to the banks situated within the passport offices; he also advised them against patronising touts.
He said that the Comptroller-General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, had directed passport offices at state commands to continue to issue the old booklet while the service headquarters Abuja would issue the new passport.
He added that the passport office in Gwagwalada would also continue to issue the old passport pending the roll-out of the new booklet in Ikoyi on June 3; Alausa, Lagos on July 8; and London on July 29, 2019.
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