In A Bid To Ease Passport Processing, FG Moves NIMC to Ministry of Interior

The Federal Government has moved the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to the Ministry of Interior, in an attempt to resolve issues around passport processing.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who promised to ensure proper coordination of the identity data of Nigerians, has recently been making some changes to the activities of the Nigeria Immigration Service, the agency that issues passports. These actions is said to be in sync with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to remove all impediments and hassles from obtaining passports. Prior to now, the NIMC was active under the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.

According to Daily Trust, an anonymous source in the Ministry of Communications disclosed that the process to synchronise the activities of the Nigerian Immigration Service and the National Identity Management Commission has begun.

“The process is ongoing and should be finalised by Friday …,” the source said.

Recall that the Minister of Interior Tunji Ojo recently said his ministry is working with the NIS to ensure that the process for applying and obtaining passports is completed within two weeks. To fast-track passport issuance, the minister in a recent interview on Channels TV said his ministry would go into partnership with post offices, financial institutions, and others to serve as enrolment centres. He aims to reduce the human factor in the passport application process, admitting that it breeds corruption.