Nigerian missions abroad will start delivering passports by mail

The ministry of foreign affairs says Nigerian missions will soon commence delivering passports to its nationals through courier.

The ministry said this is to eliminate the stress Nigerians go through to visit the missions to keep interview appointments.

Some Nigerians had raised issues on improved services on visa, passport issuance, delivery and the need to get emergency travel certificates.

Gabriel Aduda, the ministry’s permanent secretary, told NAN that the ministry was already discussing with some courier companies to pilot the scheme.

“We have started with a new innovation and we are trying to keep Nigerians from traveling to missions for passport renewal,” he said.

“We are already talking with some courier companies that will pick passports to the applicants’ doorsteps when they have made all the necessary payments and fill the forms online.

“We don’t want them to come to the missions anymore; it will be delivered to them and we have four consulates to pilot the innovation.”

Reacting to the backlog of passports, Aduda said COVID-19 pandemic came with a dry spell in the production of passports, adding that it created a problem in all the missions across the world.