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Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed the Nigerian Immigration Service to deploy new printers to the Atlanta and New York Consulates in the United States of America.
This directive follows a petition from Nigerians in these cities over their inability to obtain passports.
In response to the petition on Thursday, the minister, according to a statement by his media aide, Babatunde Alao, announced that the new printers ordered for deployment are ready for installation.
The statement partly read, “The Minister of Interior has acknowledged the receipt of a petition regarding the appeal for passport printers in the Atlanta and New York Consulates in the United States of America.
“To address this issue, the minister has since approved and directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately deploy new printers to the passport offices in both cities. These printers are ready for installation. This short-term solution aims to resolve the current challenge promptly.”
Alao noted that while the deployed printers are a short-term measure, a long-term solution to the problem is in progress.
*”The minister hinted that a new solution is being implemented as a long-term plan to introduce a streamlined passport regime, enabling Nigerians to apply for their passports with greater ease.
“Part of this plan includes the activation of the Passport Personalisation Centre in Abuja, which is scheduled to commence in the coming weeks, alongside expanding the already-deployed contactless solution to more countries.
“The Ministry of Interior, under the minister’s leadership, is working tirelessly, leaving no agency behind. At the Nigeria Immigration Service, for instance, there has been an end-to-end automation of the passport application process, including the introduction of a contactless application system, which has already been launched in Canada.”
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