Today, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, is set to launch the inaugural online portal for passport applications in Abuja. This announcement was made during a demonstration session of the online portal last Friday, where the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Caroline Adepoju, was also present. Dr. Tunji-Ojo emphasized that the online passport application platform has been established to cater to both international and Nigerian applicants.

In December, the Minister had previously stated that the Federal Government was actively working towards implementing a fully automated system for passport applications. He mentioned that the automated application system was nearly complete, at "99 per cent done," and would involve the uploading of passport photos and supporting documents.

For Nigerian applicants seeking 32-page passports with a five-year validity, the fee would be N25,000, while those opting for 64-page passports with a 10-year validity would pay N70,000. On the other hand, foreign applicants interested in passports with a five-year validity period and 32 pages would be charged $130, while those preferring passports with a 10-year validity period and 64 pages would pay $230.

Notable figures in attendance at the event included the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa; a representative of the International Organisation for Migration, Stephen Matete; the Country Manager of Development Alternatives Incorporated, Joe Abah; the Founder of Kwandala Foundation, Tijjani Musa, and the Co-founder of Technext, David Afolayan.

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