The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced the automation of the passport application process to eradicate stress and delays for Nigerians.

Caroline Adepoju, the Acting Comptroller General of NIS, revealed this during an interview on Channels Television's Sunrise Daily on Thursday.

Adepoju emphasized that the Service aims to minimize human involvement in the passport application and renewal processes.

He stated, "The Nigeria Immigration Service is widely known for issuing Nigerian passports, and in the past two years, the number of passport applications has been significantly high and unprecedented.

However, we are determined to meet the expectations of Nigerians. Our primary focus is on automating the passport application process, aiming to eliminate human interaction as much as possible."

"Our passport applications are accessible online, and we are actively encouraging applicants to utilize the online platform to avoid dealing with unauthorized agents," stated the NIS.

Furthermore, the NIS emphasized, "The passport is a crucial security document, and its issuance requires time due to various processes, including security checks and address verification."

Adepoju offered valuable advice to Nigerians, suggesting that they initiate the passport renewal application six months before its expiration. Additionally, she advised fresh applicants not to delay starting their application process until they urgently require the passport.

She stated, "I highly advise people to be proactive in renewing their passports, not waiting until it's completely expired. Start the renewal process when there are still six months of validity left. As for new applicants, they should not postpone their application until the last moment when they urgently need the passport."

According to Adepoju, the processing time for a fresh passport application is six weeks, whereas passport renewal takes approximately three weeks.

She mentioned that the Service is actively working towards a system where applicants do not have to visit the offices for passport renewal since their data has already been captured.

Adepoju expressed, "Given the current crowds in our passport offices, I am in the process of submitting a memo to the relevant authorities to streamline the renewal process similar to practices in other countries. Once we have your data, passport renewal should be accessible through online application, eliminating the need to visit the passport offices. This measure will significantly reduce the crowd, leaving visits to the passport office solely for new applicants who require data capture."