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‘FG’s passport reform benefits all Nigerians, not region-specific’ – NANS
The Northern Caucus of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has rejected allegations that the Federal Government’s ongoing passport centralisation reform is intended to sideline Northern Nigeria.
The student body described the claims as false and misleading, saying they were capable of causing unnecessary fear and confusion among members of the public.
According to the caucus, the passport centralisation initiative introduced by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is a nationwide operational reform aimed at improving security, increasing efficiency and enhancing passport service delivery across the country. It stressed that the policy is not directed against any region.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the National Vice President (External Affairs) of the association, Comrade Sadiq Zango, said the group decided to address the issue following growing concerns and enquiries from passport applicants and other stakeholders in the North-East and North-West.
Zango urged Nigerians to ignore misinformation surrounding the reform and allow the implementation process to continue, noting that the initiative is designed to benefit all citizens equally regardless of their region.
He urged Nigerians, particularly residents of the two geopolitical zones, to disregard what he described as “deliberate falsehood, propaganda and misinformation” being circulated about the reform.
According to Zango, the migration of passport production to the Central Personalisation Centre in Abuja does not stop passport processing or issuance at passport offices nationwide or at Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad.
He explained that the exercise is part of a broader modernisation programme aimed at strengthening the security, integrity and efficiency of Nigeria’s passport issuance system through technology-driven processes.
Providing details of the implementation, Zango said the Nigeria Immigration Service adopted a phased migration plan to ensure a seamless transition with minimal disruption to services.
He noted that phases one to three, carried out between February 2025 and 2026, covered passport offices in the North-Central, South-East and South-West geopolitical zones, excluding Lagos passport offices, as well as 41 Nigerian embassies and consulates across Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Oceania.
He added that phase four, scheduled for August 2026, would bring the remaining passport offices in the South-South, North-East and North-West onto the centralised platform. The offices include Calabar, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Yenagoa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jalingo, Yola, Farm Centre Kano and Dawakin Kudu Kano.
“It is therefore far from the truth to suggest that the Federal Government is trying to disenfranchise the North or any other part of the country through this process,” he said.
Zango disclosed that under the new operational framework, passport booklet printing and security personalisation have been consolidated in a secure, high-capacity production centre in Abuja, while passport offices across the country will continue to receive applications, process requests and issue passports.
He said the new arrangement is expected to reduce passport processing time to about two weeks while eliminating manual interference in the personalisation process, curbing document fraud, improving accountability and ensuring uniform quality and enhanced security features in every Nigerian passport.
The NANS leader expressed confidence in the Nigeria Immigration Service, saying the agency remains committed to deploying technology-driven solutions that align Nigeria’s passport system with global best practices.
He appealed to Northerners and Nigerians generally to remain calm and ignore rumours capable of creating unnecessary tension, insisting that the reform is designed to produce a more secure, efficient and globally respected Nigerian passport for all citizens, irrespective of region.
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