NIS explains scarcity of passports
Idris Jere, the comptroller-general of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), has revealed the reason for the recurrent scarcity of travelling passports.
Jere, at a public hearing held in the House of Representatives, cited government’s “foreign exchange regulation policy” and the “CBN’s refusal to grant access to forex for importation of the passport booklets.”
“We generate forex from sale of passport but we do not have access to buy the same booklet and that is a challenge for NIS,” he explained.
“The factors responsible for scarcity of passport include the inability to set up passport-producing factory in Nigeria as its production is done abroad. The major seven components used for producing passports are sold in international market and the assemblage and production are done in Malaysia.”
The Nigerian government has said it would start to print the travelling passports locally, thereby ending its contract with the foreign company already handling the printing. Reacting to the development, Jere advised the government to ensure proper exit plan and a smooth handover, so as to forestall any breach of contract with the foreign contractor.
NAN
