By Akinsuroju Olubunmi
Passports home delivery starts in June.
Starting June 2024, the Nigerian Immigration Service will begin home delivery of passports in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Abuja, according to Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. During an inspection of the electronic gates at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport’s new terminal in Abuja on Friday, the minister provided this update.
He explained that delays in implementing the home delivery service were due to the absence of data centers. For Nigerians abroad, the service will initially launch in the United States and the United Kingdom, following preliminary tests to ensure effectiveness. “We have completed the whole solution, but when we came on board, we realized the data center was not fully established. We had been relying on a private company’s data center, and we appreciate their assistance. However, we believe in creating permanent solutions rather than quick fixes,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He further clarified, “We could have launched in February, but we had to build our own data center from scratch to maintain the integrity of our data and national security. It is unacceptable for NIS, a 61-year-old institution responsible for Nigeria’s biometric data, to depend on third-party data centers. That’s why we’ve taken steps to address this.”
Tunji-Ojo stressed the importance of NIS managing Nigeria’s data independently. “It is disgraceful that NIS is not in full control of the nation’s data. We believe that NIS should be the custodian of Nigeria’s data. We cannot allow our data to be stored by a third party, and this initiative ensures we are in control,” he added.
Data, Service.
Passports home delivery starts in June