The acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mrs. Wura-Ola Adepoju, has revealed that a significant backlog of uncollected passports exists across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to her, as of October 5, a staggering total of 112,351 passport booklets had not been retrieved by applicants.
During a press briefing at the service headquarters in Abuja, Mrs. Adepoju addressed the concerning issue and shared updates on the passport distribution.
She noted that the NIS had successfully cleared all 204,332 passport applications that had accumulated over time and this accomplishment is following a two-week deadline set by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for the service to address the backlog.
Despite this achievement, Mrs. Adepoju emphasized that only 91,981 passport booklets had been collected by applicants thus far. She stressed the importance of prompt collection, as these travel documents are essential for various purposes, including international travel.
In light of the remaining uncollected passports, the NIS chief urged applicants to visit their respective application centres to retrieve their passports. The backlog not only poses administrative challenges but also underscores the significance of ensuring that applicants receive their passports promptly to facilitate their travel plans and related activities.
