NIN linkage delaying passport production – Immigration boss

The Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Isa Jere Idris, says one of the challenges facing the NIS is the linkage of the National Identification Number (NIN) with the passport details.

Jere, in a statement yesterday, noted that the challenge of verifying NIN before the issuance of passport plays a major role in the passport production line “and more often than not accounts for the delays.” He said: “There are instances where some applicants approach our platform with some conflicting data from their original records in our system and of course, such cases are often difficult to resolve quickly.”

He said his office was working with the National Identity Management Commission to address the challenge.

He urged passport applicants to ensure proper documentation and plan their travels ahead of time to allow for easy processes.

He reiterated the NIS’ commitment to the consequence management mechanism, assuring that any personnel found to be undermining the reform efforts would be punished.

He said the introduction of the appointment system had reduced incidences of corruption and rowdiness as well as curtailed excesses of personnel and improved productivity.