NIS Rolls Out 24-Hour Digital Platforms To Curb Passport Racketeering

 

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, has said the Service’s round-the-clock digital channels will put an end to the activities of touts and middlemen in passport processing nationwide.

Nandap, who spoke on Friday at an anti-corruption sensitisation campaign in Abuja, said applicants can now complete passport requests, make payments and monitor the progress of their applications from home.

“You don’t need a tout or an agent. From the comfort of your home, you can apply for most of our services. Once you avoid putting yourself at someone’s mercy, you remain in control of your application,” she said.

The CG explained that the NIS has activated 24-hour call lines, strengthened its call centre operations, and enhanced monitored email and social media channels to provide direct access for citizens.

She noted that the automation of passport application procedures, biometric verification and expanded digital architecture has significantly reduced processing time and closed avenues for extortion.

According to her, new reforms— including digital payments and automated checkpoints— are aimed at eliminating cash transactions that fuel corruption.

Nandap added that the NIS is working closely with sister agencies, civil society organisations, international partners and the diplomatic community to align its processes with global border-management standards. These partnerships, she said, are improving accountability and sustaining reforms.

Appealing to Nigerians to use only official communication channels, she urged citizens to familiarise themselves with approved procedures and utilise hotlines, suggestion boxes and online desks to lodge complaints or offer feedback.

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

The CG also paid tribute to immigration officers killed in Mogolu, Tuga, Tula and Niger State, describing their deaths as a painful reminder of the dangers personnel face in the line of duty.

She urged both officers and citizens to support ongoing reforms, stressing that sustainable change requires collective responsibility.

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