In exactly 17 days from now, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) will commence the full implementation of its new electronic visa (e-visa) system, and so ahead of that, the agency has updated the list of countries where the diaspora can get their passports renewed remotely. With this, it marks the latest milestone recorded under the superintendence of Comptroller-General Kemi Nandap, so which destinations have been included?

The present immigration service wants to position itself as a technology-driven one, and the plan is to exemplify that by facilitating seamless travel into and outside the country. It appears that this move is already in effect via the Contactless Biometrics Passport Application System being deployed across specific Nigerian Missions.

According to the NIS in a statement posted yesterday by Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACI) AS Akinlabi, who is also the Public Relations Officer, the technology, which started for citizens residing in the United States on Friday, 11 April 2025, will now cover 96 other countries, therefore the next phase of the deployment.

What this application system seeks in the long run is opportunities for Nigerians living at these destinations to submit their biodata in an environment they can control and without needing to physically visit an office.

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Usually, during a visa request process, the applicant is required to fill out an online form and then make a payment before booking an appointment for a scheduled biometric enrolment. That latter stage, if not struck out, would possibly only be an option going forward because of the new standards of doing things.

The press statement published by the NIS on the evening of Sunday 13 April, partly reads that the Application System, which is currently available on Google Play Store (NIS Mobile), is designed to allow Nigerians to renew their passports without visiting any Passport Centre for Biometrics enrollment.

In addition, says the AS Akinlabi-issued release is the fact that the Apple Store version will be onboarded shortly, and the enhanced version of the NIS Mobile App for both Android and iOS users will be deployed to further improve users’ experience and accessibility.

With this roll-out, the Service further informs the General Public that the Contactless Passport App is now available in Canada, the USA, Mexico, Jamaica, Brazil, Europe and Asia, with this combination making up 97 countries where Nigerians can begin their visa renewal processing.

Europe and Asia, as continents, possess 44 and 48 countries, they represent the regions of the world with massive Nigerian traffic apart from the North American region, which covers the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Although it is the Nigeria Immigration Service that on the surface is leading all these innovative ideas springing up, there is no gainsaying that it is the Honourable Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo’s involvement and thirst for positive change that is bringing speed and the tech on display.

Three days in Lagos, the minister attended a sensitisation event targeting engagement with foreigners in the country about a new Expatriate Administration System, which plans to launch the same day the new electronic visa (e-visa) system wants to go live.

While meeting expatriates at the megacity last Friday, he emphasised that data-gathering is critical for the present-day Nigeria, and with this, there won’t be any compromise against standards.

It is critical to note that proper documentation of expatriates living, working or doing business within the country can enhance public-private relations on many fronts. Whether while applying for CERPAC, Expatriate Quota, Temporary Work Permit, or various visa types, it is imperative that we enhance our processes as a government by harnessing technology.

While the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) is welcoming and encouraging foreigners into the country, we desire that they comply with laid down laws and regulations where proper registration for data capture at any given point of entry into the country is supreme.

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Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.