24-Hour Digital Channels Will Eliminate Passport Touts, Says Immigration CG

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has assured Nigerians that its 24-hour digital channels will eliminate touts and middlemen from passport application processes.

The NIS Comptroller General, Kemi Nandap, stated this on Friday.

Speaking at a nationwide anti-corruption sensitisation campaign in Abuja, Nandap said Nigerians can now apply for passports and track applications from home without intermediaries.

“You don’t have to go to a tout, you don’t have to go to an agent. You can sit in the comfort of your home and apply for most of our facilities.

“Once you avoid putting yourself at the mercy of someone, you stay in control of your application and can always reach us at any time,” she stated.

The CG said the NIS has established 24-hour call lines, an active call centre, monitored emails and social media platforms for direct citizen access.

Nandap said recent automation of passport applications, biometric verification and expanded digital architecture have reduced processing times and reduced opportunities for extortion.

The reforms include digital payments and automated checkpoints designed to eliminate cash-based transactions that enable corruption.

The CG further disclosed that the NIS has deepened collaboration with sister agencies, civil-society groups, international partners and the diplomatic community to align its operations with global border-management standards. These partnerships, she noted, are helping to harmonise processes, strengthen accountability and sustain reforms.

While appealing to citizens to use official communication channels, Nandap encouraged Nigerians to familiarise themselves with approved procedures and leverage platforms such as suggestion boxes, hotlines and online desks to report challenges or offer feedback.

“We are here for Nigerians. Tell us how to serve you better,” she said.

She also paid tribute to immigration officers who lost their lives in Mogolu, Tuga, Tula and Niger State, describing their deaths as a painful reminder of the dangers faced by personnel in the line of duty.

Nandap urged both officers and citizens to embrace change, insisting that sustainable reform requires collective responsibility.

“The change we want starts with each and every one of us,” she added.