NIS to Launch Emergency Passport for Nigerians Abroad
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced plans to introduce a new emergency travel document known as the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) for Nigerians living overseas.
The initiative is designed to replace the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) and will serve as a one-time entry document for citizens whose passports have expired, been stolen, or lost while abroad.
The Acting Public Relations Officer of the Service, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration Akinsola Akinlabi, said the new document will be available at Nigerian embassies and consulates.
He explained that the STEP will enable Nigerians in distress to return home safely without unnecessary delays or exposure to legal complications associated with travelling without valid passports.
Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, disclosed the development during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes, co-hosted by Nigeria in collaboration with the Government of France.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders in migration governance, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), representatives from ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), and the European Union (EU).
In her address titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses: The Nigeria Immigration Service Perspective,” Nandap said the introduction of the STEP aligns with the Service’s reform agenda to modernize passport administration and strengthen migration management systems in line with global standards.
She explained that the emergency passport would enhance border security, protect the identity of Nigerians abroad, and provide a safer, verifiable travel document that can be authenticated electronically. Nandap further stated that the initiative reflects the NIS’s commitment to efficient service delivery and international cooperation in addressing migration-related challenges, including human trafficking and irregular migration.
The new passport will be valid for only a single entry into Nigeria, after which the holder is expected to obtain a standard passport for any subsequent travel. While the Service is yet to disclose the official launch date, processing details, and the list of missions where the document will first be available, the plan is expected to ease the difficulties Nigerians abroad face when they lose their passports or when they expire unexpectedly.
The move marks another step in the NIS’s broader efforts to improve its digital operations, ensure the protection of Nigerians overseas, and streamline its document issuance processes in line with international best practices.
