NIS to Introduce Emergency Passport for Nigerians Abroad

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced plans to introduce the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP), a new biometric travel document designed to help Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen return home securely and verifiably.

Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, disclosed this during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes held in Abuja, co-hosted by Nigeria and France.

According to a statement by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, the STEP will replace the current Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) as part of NIS’s ongoing reforms “aimed at strengthening identity management and border governance frameworks in line with global best practices.”

Nandap explained that the new passport “will serve as a temporary travel document for Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen, enabling them to return home in a secure and verifiable manner.”

She added that the document would be issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad and valid for a single entry only, underscoring the Service’s commitment to efficient service delivery and robust identity protection.

The Abuja meeting brought together key stakeholders in migration management, including representatives from the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NAPTIP, ECOWAS, AU, EU, and other African and European countries.

The high-level forum focused on strengthening collaboration to combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking, emphasising prevention, protection, and prosecution across regional migration routes.

In her keynote address, titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses,” Nandap outlined the Service’s broader reform agenda aimed at enhancing migration management systems, international cooperation, and capacity building.

She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global migration dialogues, stressing that the NIS will continue to align its policies and operations with international standards to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration across borders.