By Odita Sunday
For years, obtaining a Nigerian passport was synonymous with stress. Long queues snaked around immigration offices, touts thrived, and applicants often waited months for a document that
have taken weeks. For students, business travellers, and families seeking medical care abroad, these delays translated into heartbreak, missed opportunities, and extra costs.
But under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, that narrative is beginning to shift. With a quiet determination, Nandap is steering reforms that promise to make travel document processing more transparent, efficient, and citizen-friendly.
When she took office, Nandap made her philosophy clear:“A travel document is not just a booklet with security features; it is a citizen’s right, an emblem of identity, and a trust between the state and its people.”
Her strategy is built on three pillars: transparency, digitisation, and decentralisation. These have shaped the reforms now visible in passport offices at home and abroad.
At the time of her appointment, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) was grappling with a massive backlog of passport applications. Some citizens had been waiting for over a year.
Nandap’s response was swift. She launched a Backlog Clearance Campaign, redeployed officers, extended office hours, and introduced mobile passport capture units. Within months, tens of thousands of applicants received long-delayed passports.
For many Nigerians, this was the first tangible sign that the system was changing.
One of Nandap’s boldest moves has been strengthening the online application portal. Applicants can now fill forms, make payments, and even track timelines online. The system is integrated with the National Identity Number (NIN) database, reducing duplication and fraud.
“For the first time, I applied and received my passport in six weeks without paying a bribe,” said a postgraduate student in Lagos preparing to travel to the UK.
This digital-first approach has cut down on unnecessary physical visits and brought new transparency into the process.
Previously, Nigerians in smaller towns often travelled hundreds of kilometres to renew passports. To address this, Nandap has commissioned new passport offices in states like Ekiti, Gombe, and Niger.
Diaspora Nigerians have also felt the impact. Mobile passport intervention teams now visit major cities abroad, reducing the burden on consulates. A Nigerian parent in London described the exercise as “a lifesaver,” noting that children received their passports just in time for the school term.
Perhaps the most sensitive reform has been tackling corruption in passport processing.
At passport offices nationwide, official fees are now prominently displayed. Hotlines and online channels have been set up for applicants to report extortion. Officers caught demanding bribes have faced sanctions.
“No Nigerian should pay more than the official fee to obtain their passport. We will hold our officers accountable,” Nandap has repeatedly said.
While eradicating racketeering entirely remains a challenge, her stance has sent a strong message.
Beyond speed and transparency, Nandap has also prioritized security. Nigerian passports now feature upgraded biometric capture and chip technology, making them harder to forge and more respected internationally.
Collaborations with Interpol and other agencies have strengthened checks against stolen or fraudulent travel documents.
The reforms are not just bureaucratic changes; they are transforming lives.
A trader in Gombe no longer has to close his shop to travel to Kano for passport renewal.
Students seeking to meet foreign admission deadlines now receive documents on time.
Diaspora Nigerians feel more connected to home through faster, fairer services.
“It saves me money, stress, and time,” said one applicant. “For once, it feels like government actually worked for me.”
Despite these gains, challenges remain. Infrastructure gaps persist in some offices, demand continues to outpace capacity, and corruption — though reduced — is not fully eliminated. Years of poor service have also left citizens skeptical, and rebuilding trust will take time.
Nandap herself acknowledges this, noting that reform is “a journey, not an event.”
Her vision for the next phase includes:
”Nationwide rollout of e-passports with embedded chips.
”Expansion of mobile passport services to rural and diaspora communities.
”Greater automation to reduce human interference.
”Feedback systems allowing applicants to track and rate their experiences”.
If achieved, these steps could make Nigeria a leader in modern migration management across Africa.
Kemi Nandap’s leadership has already shifted the story of Nigerian passports from one of despair to one of cautious optimism. By focusing on transparency, technology, and citizen experience, she has redefined what service delivery can look like in one of Nigeria’s most visible agencies.
For citizens who once stood helpless in endless queues, the change is profound. As one Lagos resident put it after collecting her passport on time:
“This is the Nigeria we want — where government delivers, not frustrates.”
If sustained and scaled, these reforms could do more than ease travel. They could restore faith in public institutions and prove that with the right leadership, even the most broken systems can be fixed.
How Immigration Chief, Kemi Nandap is Delivering Positive Reforms in Travel Document Processing
