By Precious Mark
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has clarified that its decision to transition additional regional passport offices to the Central Passport Personalization Centre is an administrative process enhancement aimed at improving service efficiency, rather than a shutdown of operations.
In a statement released on Wednesday following an internal operational circular, the immigration service assured passport applicants that all local command facilities remain fully operational.
The NIS cleared the air on the operational shift in its statement.
“The Nigeria Immigration Service wants to clarify that the recent migration of additional passport branches to the Central Personalization Centre is a strategic administrative enhancement, rather than a suspension of services.”
“Applicants can still visit their local centers to complete biometric data capture seamlessly,” the agency stated.
The immigration authority further highlighted the core security objectives behind the decision.
“This centralized production framework is designed to align with global security standards, streamline processing timelines, and significantly safeguard the integrity of the Nigerian passport.”
“Citizens can rest assured that capturing centers remain fully operational, with physical booklets processed efficiently and returned to local commands within standard delivery windows,” the service added.
The clarification comes after the service announced the migration of ten passport offices, including the Farm Centre and Dawakin Kudu facilities in Kano State, command offices in Jalingo, Gombe, Yola, and Bauchi, as well as southern centers in Port Harcourt, Uyo, Calabar, and Yenagoa, effective Monday, August 10, 2026.
The agency reiterated its commitment to protecting the integrity of the Nigerian passport while maintaining a seamless application experience across all processing centers nationwide.