The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has conducted targeted passport intervention exercises in the United States, Canada and Qatar, alongside an ongoing exercise in the United Kingdom, to bring passport services closer to Nigerians living abroad.
The Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Akinsola Akinlabi, on Monday September 21, said the exercises were carried out in collaboration with Nigerian diplomatic missions and community representatives under the directive of Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. He said thousands of Nigerians had benefited from the coordinated exercises.
According to Akinlabi, 535 applicants were enrolled in the US between Sept. 7 and 15, while 2,257 were enrolled across five Canadian locations between Sept. 6 and 19. Qatar recorded 751 enrolments between Aug. 9 and 24, while the ongoing UK exercise in London and Manchester had enrolled 5,099 applicants as of Sept. 21.
Akinlabi said passport production and dispatch were being carried out alongside the UK exercise. He added that applicants unable to secure appointment slots, or those who prefer not to visit the centres physically, could use the Contactless Passport Application System, as the NIS continues efforts to provide timely, accessible and convenient services to Nigerians in the diaspora.
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