This is contained in a statement by NIS spokesman Amos Okpu in Abuja on Tuesday.

The comptroller general of the service, Mr. Muhammad Babandede, said the portal went into effect at midnight on Tuesday.

Babandede said the portal would allow eligible applicants to apply for and make payments for the different categories of passports of their choice.

The Nigerian News Agency (NAN) recalls that the passport portal was closed on May 17, following a directive from the Minister of the Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.

The minister had ordered the portal closed to allow the service to clear the backlog of applications at issuance centers across the country in recent months.

Babandede further explained that with the reopening of the portal, a new passport application and payment regime had started.

He said, “Applications and payments for passport services should be made through the service’s website, www.immigration.gov.ng.

“Applicants should visit the portal to apply and upload their supporting documents for verification and processing.

“A chat room to guide applicants through the application and payment process has been provided on the portal.

“In the event of a successful application, applicants must make their interview / registration appointment online at any day, time and place they deem appropriate.

“The new deadline for passport production and issuance after successful registration at the selected issuance center will be six weeks for new applications and three weeks for reissue (renewal applications).”

According to him, no applicant who has not yet made an online application and payment will be allowed to enter one of the passport issuance centers.

The Comptroller General added that applicants will be contacted via the email addresses and phone numbers they provided during the application when their passports are ready.

He cautioned Nigerians, however, to avoid patronizing touts as the whole process had been made transparent for effective and efficient service delivery.