The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has disclosed that Nigerians in the diaspora with expired passports can travel back home and get their passport renewed at the Airports “without fear of harassment.”
The minister made this announcement on Saturday at a webinar organised by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
Aregbesola disclosed that front offices have been established and approved at Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt airports to help Nigerians who journey back to the country on expired passports to get their passports renewed immediately.
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He stressed further that the NIS have, therefore, granted a waiver for Nigerians in the diaspora with expired passports and eager to come to Nigeria to do so without afraid of being harassed by airlines.
The minister also reiterated that he has given a May 31 deadline to clear all backlogs of passport applications and stated that the delay in passport issuance experienced by Nigerians is one of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on the domestication of the production of passport booklets to avoid a future reoccurrence, Aregbesola said the federal government has reached an “advance stage” in its quest to get it done.
