The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has commissioned the new Maitama Passport Express Centre in Abuja.
The new centre is part of ongoing reforms to improve Passport issuance services in Nigeria, as the Minister assured Nigerians that their passport should be ready within 72hours after successful application.
The new passport express centre is located at Glass House, Plot 1458, Tigris Crescent beside CAC Office Maitama District Abuja, the Office shall offer a premium in record time.
The Minister also said that where there are issues, the Nigeria Immigration Service must notify applicants within 48hrs.
The new passport express centre, according to the Minister, is being established in partnership with the private sector. “And it is the first of many more to be established and designed to offer specialized services to Nigerians,” he said.
While at the commissioning, Rauf Aregbesola who was joined by CGI Babandede MFR, said:
“Every Nigerian has the right to a Nigerian passport and it is our responsibility to put it in the hands of anyone desirous of it within the shortest possible time, without stress. The passport should be available within a maximum of 72 hours of a successful application.
It will also afford Nigerians the opportunity of getting their Passports within 24hrs, at the high premium service & 72hrs at the ordinary premium service, albeit with added value and a little bit of extra cost
A centre like this is necessary to reduce stress. Secondly, by minimising human contact, it eliminates the prospect of corruption.
The commencement of the operations of this world-class facility will not only offer Nigerians services of convenience and pleasure by taking away the hitherto stress in the conventional passport offices.
I must be quick to add that these feats wouldn’t have been achievable without the unwavering support and sterling leadership of President Buhari who has supported the ministry and especially the NIS. My thanks and admiration of him is therefore without reservation,” he added.
In his remarks, CGI Babandede MFR assured that the Centre will offer effective and efficient Passport services to applicants.
He appealed to the public over the current skeletal services in some Passport Offices maintaining that measures have been put in place to clear all outstanding backlog and restore Passports issuance to applicants shortly.