The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has debunked what it describes as a baseless online report alleging that the South East zone has been disqualified from passport issuance.
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In a direct response to the viral claims, the Service clarified that the reported disruptions are not a result of discrimination but are part of an extensive, government-led reform to modernise passport administration across the Federation.
Service Public Relations Officer DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, in a statement on Saturday, said the misleading reports are a “gross misrepresentation” of ongoing efforts to transition to a more secure and efficient centralised production framework.
According to the NIS, this modernisation effort began in 2024 and was designed specifically to enhance the “efficiency, integrity and security of Nigeria’s passport production system” rather than to exclude any citizen or region from accessing essential services.
Explaining the technical nature of the delays, the NIS noted that it has introduced a phased onboarding system to migrate passport offices, including foreign missions, to a centralised production framework.
The Service noted significant progress in this regard, noting that it has already successfully onboarded passport offices in the Northeast and North Central states of Borno, Yobe, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau. This transition has also extended to 35 international stations spread across Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America.
It added that the current phase of the migration is specifically focusing on the Southeast and several key international missions.
The scheduled migration for the five Southeast states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo, along with five additional international stations in Italy, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, and Austria, is currently ongoing within the first quarter of 2026.
NIS emphasised that it has established a strict work-plan calendar to ensure this transition remains seamless and does not disrupt delivery timelines.
It urged the public to disregard “speculative narratives” that are capable of creating unnecessary tension, while it reaffirmed its commitment to implementing reforms in the overall national interest and ensuring equitable service delivery and operational excellence for all Nigerians, regardless of their location.
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