From January 1, 2018, anybody without National Identification Number issued by the National Identity Management Commission will not be able to procure Nigerian passport.

The condition applies to both first-time applicants and those renewing their expired document.

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. Mohammed Babandede, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting of database harmonisation committee held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

Babandede said the decision was taken as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to ease the process of doing business in the country.

He said henceforth, there would be no need for individuals to have their biometrics captured by the NIS and NIMC separately.

He said, “The harmonisation of data and requires all of us to act but the biggest problem we are facing is that everybody is deploying his own technology.

“There is a practical commitment to this. We have agreed that from January 1, 2018, anybody who is going to apply for Nigerian Passport, whether renewal or fresh application, must first have a national identity number.

“Why we are doing this is that we want to ease business for Nigeria. There is no need for you to go and have your biometrics captured by NIMC and then you come and capture again with the Nigeria Immigrations.

“Once you give us your NIN, we will collect the biometrics from NIMC and produce your passport. That is the intention to do in all other agencies.”

Babandede said he had directed that have also given directive that permits of foreigners resident in Nigeria should not be renewed without NIN.

To achieve this, the NIS boss said identification numbers and passport numbers would be harmonised.

“All NIMC staff can work in our passport office. So, when you come to get your passport, you can also get the national identity card.

“The NIMC has also allowed immigration staff to work in their offices. So, anybody who is coming to claim Nigerian citizenship, they will help to identify that citizen. That is the cooperation that we have had so far,” he explained.

Babandede said government’s aim was to put in place what he called e-government.

“What government is saying is that when you want to collect any facility from any government agency, you don’t need to look for the document from any other government agency. We should be able to access it, we should be able to know whether you have paid your tax or not.

“If you are coming through the airport and you want to leave Nigeria, we should be able to know that this guy has not paid his tax and you should be able to pay your tax before you depart. We are looking at one e-government and it is possible,” he explained.

openla:
Makes sense

Honeyking:
Hmmmmmm. Unserious elements, it has taken them about 4years now to produce ID cards and till now they have not been able to give it us.
What are they talking...... make them park well joor

agboty:
NIMC is working day and night now to ensure that the backlog of cards are produced and given to the rightful owners.It's a national project that must be fully supported by the citizens.

femi4:
Wetin I wan take Naija passport do, i no dey travel abroad

jjjjj2017:

I disagree

DerideGull:


This nonsense need to be boycotted. Nigeria is still relatively underdeveloped to embark such national endeavor. This is country that cannot manage a gutter is talking about National Identification Number. These fools will always design a means of looting or embezzling funds. I guess IPOB should beg Biafrans to boycott the silly exercise so that IPOB should start offering Biafran passport.

An0nimus:


I'm tempted to say you know nothing Jon Snow but I won't

internationalman:
so bcoz a middle name is not included in my pvc and school ID card while my BVN has a middle name, first Bank refused to open account for me. Please does anyone know a bank that wouldn't mind opening it for me.

dannytoe:
leave that fvcking bank, and go to Gt bank.

openla:


Who said you should agree? I will love that the government hAve a way to call upon my data instead of needing me to enter my information all the time. The reason why some of us have different names on different Identification cards hence different names on two different bank accounts that belong to just one person. In the US they have SSN, in the UK they have National Insurance number. You will cry wolve about how other countries have better system and will never agree with the idea of making your country better by implementing simple thing has a way to have your data recorded. I don't have a national ID card myself and my passport expires in 2018. We live in a country of about 200m citizens where people commit all sorts of crimes daily and get away with it knowing they can't be traced you are telling me you disagree. If you don't have sense can't you borrow from your neighbors? Of course you don't need Nigerian passport or national ID but I hope you do have a Biafran ID if not you are as useless as someone without a form of Identification which is exactly what you are. Very clueless being.

justi4jesu: