Nigeria Immigration Services Defends Policy Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Passport Renewal

The Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS) has offered justification for its recent policy mandating Nigerians seeking passport renewal to provide proof of citizenship.

In a statement posted on its official platform, the NIS clarified that all documents required during the passport renewal process are backed by the Nigerian constitution and the Ministry of Interior.

According to the immigration service, “for your claim of being a Nigerian citizen to hold water, there has to be a document that ties you to a local government (indigenous area) within the country.”

The clarification comes after concerns were raised by a user, Tayo Oviosu, regarding the policy requiring the provision of a letter of identification from the local government by applicants renewing their passport.

Responding to the concerns, the NIS explained that most states have liaison offices, eliminating the need for unnecessary travel.

“First, you DO NOT necessarily NEED to go to your state of origin to get the indigeneship document. We are aware that most states have liaison offices in other states. For example, Anambra State has liaison offices in Lagos (Eti-Osa) and Abuja (Asokoro). These offices are empowered to issue such documents,” the statement read.

The recent reforms in the Nigeria Immigration Services include the launch of the International Passport Automation system in January 2024. According to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the International Passport Automation system will help strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.

Under the new regime, the requirements for passport renewal include provision of a National Identification Number, old passport number, as well as supporting documents such as a birth certificate and a local government certificate of indigeneship.