The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has revealed plans for the introduction of a Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) for Nigerians abroad.
The development was announced by Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, who disclosed that the initiative is a new biometric travel document designed to help Nigerians in Diaspora whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen return home securely and verifiably.
Speaking during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes held in Abuja, Nandap said it would replace the current Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) as part of NIS’s ongoing reforms “aimed at strengthening Identity Management and Border Governance frameworks in line with global best practices.”
“The STEP will serve as a temporary travel document for Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen, enabling them to return home in a secure and verifiable manner,” the statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, on Wednesday reads.
“The travel document will be issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad and valid only for single entry, reinforcing the Service’s commitment to efficient service delivery and robust identity protection,” it added.
