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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced plans to introduce a new Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP
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Aims to help stranded Nigerians with expired, lost, or stolen passports return home safely.
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Initiative aligns with global best practices on migration and identity management.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has introduced a new Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP), a biometric document designed to help Nigerians stranded abroad return home safely in cases of lost, stolen, or expired passports.
Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mrs. Kemi Nanna Nandap, announced the development in Abuja during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes, co-hosted by Nigeria and France.
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According to a statement by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Akinsola Akinlabi, the new document replaces the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) and forms part of Nigeria’s ongoing reforms to modernise identity management and border governance systems.
In her keynote address, titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses,” Nandap reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring safe and regular migration in line with international standards.
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“The Nigeria Immigration Service will continue to align its operations with international standards to promote regional security, facilitate legal migration, and protect human rights,” she said.
The NIS boss explained that the STEP will serve as a temporary, single-use passport valid for one entry into Nigeria and issued only at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad.
“The STEP will serve as a temporary, single-use travel document for Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen, enabling them to return home in a secure and verifiable manner,” she added.
Nandap noted that the initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s migration management systems and protect citizens’ identities globally.
The Abuja meeting brought together representatives from ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), NAPTIP, and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, among other African and European stakeholders. Discussions focused on enhancing regional collaboration to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
