Nigeria has announced the introduction of a National Identification Number (NIN) verification fee for passport applications, renewals and issuance services.
The fee will be implemented on April 1, 2023, and will cost N1,000 for Nigerian passport applications, $5 for other African countries, and $15 for other countries.
The goal of the fee is to improve the quality, accuracy and speed of passport services in Nigeria by verifying NIN.
This is expected to streamline the application process and reduce the number of visitors to Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) offices.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) agreed to the revised applicant journey, which aims to improve the speed of passport issuance and reduce the number of visitors to NIS offices.
This move is in line with the directive of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
The significance of NIN in passport issuance is that it is designed to tie an individual’s record together.
It lodges an individual’s demographic data, fingerprints, head-to-shoulder facial picture, other biometric data, and digital signature in the National Identity Database, and confirms and verifies the information through NIN.
While the introduction of the NIN verification fee is expected to make the passport issuance process more efficient, it may be a burden on the Nigerian populace who will have to pay more for passport services.
The effectiveness of the NIS and NIMC in delivering quality, efficient and cost-effective services will determine the success of the new fee in streamlining the passport application process.
»New NIN fees for Nigerian passport applications to commence on April 1, 2023«
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