Minister Of Interior Reveals When Home Delivery Of Passports Will Commence

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) will begin home delivery of passports in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Abuja in June 2024, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, reveals.

Naija News reports that the minister made this known during his inspection of the electronic gates at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport’s new terminal in Abuja on Friday.

Explaining the delay in implementing the home delivery service, the minister highlighted the absence of dedicated data centres as a significant bottleneck.

He assured that this service would also be rolled out for Nigerians in the diaspora, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, after preliminary testing phases to ascertain its effectiveness.

“We have completed the whole solution but realized upon assuming office that the data center infrastructure was inadequate. Previously, we were leveraging a private company’s data center, and while we appreciate their assistance, it is crucial for the integrity of our data and national security that we establish a permanent solution,” said Tunji-Ojo.

The minister stressed the importance of having a robust system in place, especially given the sensitivity of handling biometric data.

“It is not acceptable for such critical data to be domiciled with a third party. The NIS, being 61 years old and a custodian of Nigeria’s biometric data, should be in full control of this data,” he asserted.