Nigeria immigration Service (NIS) has disclosed that National Identification Number (NIN) is a pre-condition for obtaining the new national passport, noting that the new document would be unveiled on Tuesday.

The service, also, has revealed that it had synchronised its system with that of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to enable the new passport capture the National Identification Number of any applicant.

Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Mr. Muhammad Babandede made the disclosure at a pre-launch meeting with the officials of the service in Lagos at the weekend, saying new passport would no longer be issued without national identification number.

At the pre-launch meeting, the comptroller-general explained that the newly enhanced 10-year validity passport is more secure than the previous passports, which would be done away with soon.

Babandede noted that it had become imperative for every Nigerian to obtain national identification number before the new passport could be issued.

According to him, the old passport and the new one will be running concurrently, so as to provide for over 25,000 applicants who had paid for the old passports, which are still being produced concurrently with the new passports.

He said the new e-passport “will attract a different price from the old one. The 64-page 10-year passport will be restricted to adults (18years and above) and will cost N70,000, excluding bank charges; 32-page five year standard passport is N25,000 and 64-page five year standard passport goes for N35,000, all excluding bank charges.”

He explained that the reason applicants under 18 years would not obtain the 10-year standard passport “is because under 18 years, the appearance of people could change and will no more reflect the image in the passport.”

Babandede warned personnel of the Service against corruption and sharp practices in issuing the new passport.

He charged them to avoid aiding and abetting service seekers in the procurement of breeder documents for NIS facilities, noting that doing so is culpable by the Immigration Act 2015.

Babandede called on the immigration officials to comply with the Executive Order 01 on Transparency and Ease of Doing Business, stating that NIS as an elite service should contribute its quota to the economic development of the country through facilitation of corrupt-free atmosphere for Direct Foreign Investment (DFI).

He reiterated that immigration officials should change their attitude towards service delivery, noting that the administration of President Muhmmadu Buhari “has provided enabling environment for the Service to discharge its responsibilities without let or hindrance.

“Hence, Service must imbibe the principle of hostmanship, which enjoins service providers to treat customers as their guests,” the comptroller-general explained.

Bandede, therefore, encouraged immigration officials to take advantage of facilities provided by the agency to build their capacity especially on ICT because Immigration would soon start conducting e-base promotion exercise.

Thisday