NIS Says Passport Services Have Not Been Suspended

The Nigeria Immigration Service says passport services are still running across the country despite the migration of more passport branches to the Central Personalisation Centre.

The clarification followed concern that the migration had stopped normal passport processing. NIS said the change was an administrative step meant to improve production and security, not a suspension of service.

Applicants can still go to their designated passport offices for biometric enrolment, according to the service. The agency said the branch migration affects internal processing, while front-office services for applicants remain open.

Punch, Vanguard and Daily Post all reported the same clarification from the NIS statement on Wednesday. The service said the move should help strengthen the handling of Nigeria’s travel documents rather than shut down passport centres.

The assurance is meant to calm applicants who may have interpreted the migration notice as a halt in passport operations. Nigerians with pending or new applications are being told to continue using their assigned passport offices.

The clarification does not remove the need for applicants to follow their appointment schedules and centre-specific instructions. It does, however, mean the latest branch migration should not be read as a nationwide closure of passport offices.

Sources: Punch, Vanguard and Daily Post.