Starting in 2024, the Nigerian Ministry of Interior will launch e-gates at airports nationwide. Alongside this, an automated passport application system is set to debut next month.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, shared that the automated passport application will be operational within a week.
Tunji-Ojo explained during a Tuesday interview on Channels TV said, “We’ve done the testing and we should be going live in the next one week or thereabout. As I said, that will ensure that Nigerians, all they need to do in an immigration centre, a passport centre, is just biometrics, just to take your fingerprints, that’s all.”
Historically, Nigerians faced challenges like racketeering and inflated costs in passport applications. The new automated system aims to eliminate middlemen exploiting the manual process for personal gain.
Starting in February 2024, e-gates will be introduced at international airports. Tunji-Ojo emphasised, “Nigerians returning home won’t need to interact with immigration officers unless flagged as a person of interest.”
To combat corruption, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had previously barred two immigration officers from operating due to extortion. E-gates aim to curb such practices and streamline the travel process for passengers.
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