March 09, 2021
The Honourable Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola launched the Nigerian Temporary Passport (NTP) at NIS Headquarters, today, Tuesday 9th March, 2021.
2. The Temporary Passport is a new genre of Passport that will be issued at the Nigerian Embassies/High Commissions outside the country to Nigerians desirous of returning home but whose national passport is not available.
The Honourable Minister stated that the Temporary Passport is a travel document designed for a one-way travel to Nigeria only and that the new document replaces the hitherto Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) which was issued to Nigerians in emergency situations for the purpose of returning home.
He maintained that the Temporary Passport is ICAO compliant and is valid for only 30 days before the date of travel and it is not in any way a replacement for the Nigerian Passport as it will only serve a temporary purpose in the case of loss or misplacement of the Nigerian Passport by a Nigerian abroad.
The Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, MFR, stated that the replaced Emergency Travel Certificate was a huge security threat to Nigeria and the global community because it was an ordinary paper devoid of necessary security features of a travel document.
However, the Temporary Passport replacing it is a catalyst to Nigeria’s desire for effective identity management as it has a chip and surface personalization which is an enhancement of the current Electronic Passport Management System (EPMS).
Contact: DCI Sunday James pcc
Service Public Relations Officer
For: Comptroller General of Immigration
REMARKS BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF INTERIOR, OGBENI RAUF AREGBESOLA, AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE TEMPORARY PASSPORT, HELD AT THE NIS HEADQUARTERS, SOUKA, ABUJA, ON 9TH MARCH, 2021
Protocols: TEMPORARY BUT SECURE
I am pleased to be at this occasion to witness another interesting development in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the official launch of the Nigerian Temporary Passport.
This event represents yet another sincere demonstration of government’s commitment to strengthen our national security architecture and it also validates our drive for robust service delivery to our citizens in diaspora.
The Temporary Passport being launched today is critical to the country’s desire for effective identity management. It was for the sole purpose of identity management that we ensured that the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), harmonize data in the process of obtaining the Nigerian Passport.
The Temporary Passport as the name implies, is a travel document designed for a one-way travel to Nigeria only.
It is an electronic document that has all the features of a regular passport, just that it is temporary and valid for one trip and will be retrieved from the user at the entry point.
It is a replacement for the hitherto Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) which was issued to Nigerians in emergency situations where their Passports were not available and had need to travel to Nigeria.
The old paper ETC is non-electronic.
This new document is not a replacement for the Nigerian Passport, it will only serve a temporary purpose in the case of loss or misplacement of the Nigerian Passport by a Nigerian abroad. The Temporary Passport is ICAO compliant and is valid for only 30 days.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, recall that the NIS last week commissioned its state-of-the-art Technology Building, which is the first of its kind in Africa. The launch of the Temporary Passport today is another positive milestone in the efforts to reposition the NIS to measure up favourably with its counterparts in the world.
It is further consolidation of the digitization efforts of the operations of NIS to further strengthen its collaboration with other security agencies for effective and efficient border security of the country. In the light of the present security challenges faced by the country, the Temporary Passport will no doubt help to checkmate the excess of criminal elements that takes advantage of the ETC to infiltrate the country.
Let me assure Nigerians having difficulties with obtaining the Nigerian passport that this challenge will soon be put behind us. We are putting measures in place that will make it very easy to obtain the passport, once they come to fruition.
May I use this opportunity to further appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for his continued support to the Ministry of Interior and the NIS in particular.
I must commend the Controller General of the Immigration Service for his untiring efforts at innovation and effective management of our borders, in the quest for national security.
I must also commend all the officers and men of the service for their sacrifice and professionalism in border management and keeping us safe.
Let me remind us all again of the need to be safety conscious and follow all the prescribed protocols in the era of COVID-19 in order to protect ourselves, our family, our colleagues and anyone we come in contact with.
I thank you all for your kind attention.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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