The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has emphasized the need for additional passport front offices of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Lagos State. This statement follows the inauguration of a new front desk office in the Alimosho area on Monday. Aregbesola noted that approximately half of all passport applications, estimated at around 100,000, originate from Lagos. The establishment of the Alimosho front desk office aims to alleviate the pressure on the three existing passport control offices in the state and address the frequent shortages in passport issuance.
Aregbesola expressed the government’s commitment to expanding passport issuance operations to meet the demands of urban centers like Lagos. He explained that the Alimosho front desk office was created to help manage the increasing workload faced by the current passport control offices. He stated, “We promise to speed up the expansion process despite the challenge of limited resources.” It is important to clarify that the Alimosho front desk office is not an express center or a full-fledged passport office like those located in Ikoyi, Alausa, and FESTAC. Instead, it serves as a facility for collecting biometric data from applicants.
The minister elaborated, “A front office is where applications will be made and biometric data of the applicant will be collected. It is a non-judgmental center, meaning that no decision will be made here, no passport will be produced here, and no further processing will be done here. The application and biometric data will be collected and forwarded to the NIS for processing and issuing.” Aregbesola highlighted the necessity for more front offices in Lagos, indicating that at least 15 such facilities would be required to reduce the application waiting period to one week. However, he acknowledged that funding challenges may hinder the establishment of these offices, leading to a need for private partners to provide the necessary space while NIS personnel manage the operations. He believes that having these offices will help eliminate bottlenecks and reduce exploitation in urban centers where application volumes are particularly high.
In a related statement, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Isah Idris, urged the pioneer officers at the Alimosho office to uphold integrity in their interactions with customers, emphasizing the importance of courtesy and professionalism. He warned that the Passport Office is strictly off-limits to touts, passport racketeers, and other undesirable elements. Idris cautioned that any individual found violating the Passport Offences as outlined in Section 10(1a-h) of the Immigration Act, 2015, would face legal consequences.
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