The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has assured Nigerians that passport application and processing services remain fully operational nationwide, dismissing speculation that its recent migration of additional passport branches to the Central Personalization Centre (CPC) has disrupted passport issuance.
In a statement published on its official X account on Wednesday, the agency explained that the migration is a strategic administrative upgrade designed to improve passport production, strengthen document security and enhance service delivery—not a suspension of passport services.
The NIS urged applicants not to be alarmed by the development, stressing that passport enrolment and biometric data capture continue as normal at passport offices across the country.
“The Nigeria Immigration Service wants to clarify that the recent migration of additional passport branches to the Central Personalization Centre is a strategic administrative enhancement, rather than a suspension of services,” the statement read.
According to the agency, applicants can still visit their designated passport centres to complete biometric capture and other enrolment procedures without interruption.
The Immigration Service explained that centralising passport production is part of efforts to align Nigeria’s passport issuance process with global security standards, improve operational efficiency and protect the integrity of the country’s travel documents.
It added that physical passport booklets will continue to be processed centrally before being delivered to passport offices within the usual processing timelines, assuring applicants that the new system will not cause unnecessary delays.
The clarification follows growing public concern after reports emerged about the migration of more passport branches to the Central Personalization Centre, with some Nigerians fearing the move could slow passport processing. However, the NIS insisted the reform is intended solely to modernise passport production while maintaining uninterrupted access to services nationwide.
