The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has dismissed an online report alleging that a specific region of the country has been disqualified from passport issuance.

In a statement by the Service’s national Public Relations Officer (PRO) Akinsola Akinlabi, the NIS emphasised that the report is “entirely false and a gross misrepresentation of the ongoing government reforms to modernise passport administration.”

The NIS explained that a phased onboarding system has been introduced to migrate passport offices, including those in foreign missions, to a centralised production framework.

This modernisation effort, which began in 2024, aims to enhance the “efficiency, integrity, and security of Nigeria’s passport production system” without excluding any citizen.

According to the NIS, passport offices in the North East and North Central states, including Borno, Yobe, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau, as well as 35 international stations across Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, have successfully adapted to this new system. Scheduled migration for the five South East states which includes Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo along with five additional international stations namely; Italy, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, and Austria) is currently underway, targeting completion within the first quarter of 2026.

To ensure a smooth transition, the NIS said it has established a strict work plan calendar, indicating that the goal is to drive the process towards greater efficiency without disrupting delivery timelines.

The government therefore called on the public to disregard speculative narratives that could create unnecessary tension, as the NIS continues to implement reforms in the national interest.

The service said it remains “committed to equitable service delivery and operational excellence.”

THE GUARDIAN