FG Explores Local Production Of Passport Booklet

The Federal Government says it is seriously exploring the local production of passport booklets in the country as part of plans to safe cost and ease the lingering scarcity of the document.
Spokesperson for the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Mr Sunday James, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
The Tide source reports that the passport booklet is presently being produce? by Iris Smart Technology Nigeria (ISTL) through its parent company, Iris Corporation based in Malaysia.
James said that the Minister of Interior, retired Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau had directed for the domestication of the production of the passport booklets in the country.
He, however, did not give details of the directive, claiming that he was not to be preview to it.
James assured that notwithstanding the measure, the NIS was working round the clock to ensure sustained delivery and distribution of the booklets across all its commands in the country.
“The Comptroller-General of the Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, wishes to inform the general public and most especially those who have approached our Passport.
Processing Centres of recent, that the Service now has standard Passport Booklets in sufficient quantity for issuance.
“All Passport Control Officers have been directed to clear the backlog of outstanding applications,” he said.
The Press Secretary to the Minister of Interior, Mr Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, said that the minister was committed to resolving all issues relating to the passport production.
Osaigbovo said that the minister had set up a committee, headed by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to look into the local production of the document and resolve the challenge posed by its scarcity.