Nigeria Immigration Service to Launch Single Travel Emergency Passport for Citizens Abroad

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced plans to introduce a new Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) — a digital, secure travel document that will replace the current Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) for Nigerians stranded or facing passport issues abroad.

Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, revealed the initiative at the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes, co-hosted by Nigeria and France.

According to NIS spokesperson ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, the new STEP document will serve as a temporary passport for Nigerians overseas whose passports have expired, been lost, or stolen, allowing them to return home safely and securely.

“The forthcoming Single Travel Emergency Passport will be issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad, valid for one entry only,” Akinlabi stated, adding that the measure underscores the Service’s commitment to identity protection and efficient service delivery.

A Major Step in Immigration Reform

The introduction of STEP forms part of ongoing immigration reforms aimed at strengthening identity management, border security, and migration control in line with international best practices.

During her keynote address, titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses: The Nigeria Immigration Service Perspective,” Nandap highlighted the Service’s focus on combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling, enhancing border governance, and improving migration management systems.

She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global migration dialogues, stressing that the NIS will continue aligning its operations with international standards to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration.

Collaborating to Tackle Irregular Migration

The high-level forum brought together key migration stakeholders, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), NAPTIP, ECOWAS, AU, and EU representatives.

Discussions centred on preventing migrant smuggling, protecting victims of trafficking, and harmonising legal frameworks across African and European routes.

“The meeting reinforced the need for coordinated prevention, protection, and prosecution responses among agencies,” NIS said, describing the platform as crucial to dismantling transnational criminal networks and safeguarding the rights of migrants.

The announcement comes as the NIS revealed that it issued over two million passports in 2023, amid Nigeria’s rising rate of international migration, popularly known as “Japa.”