The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially announced plans to introduce a new biometric emergency passport known as the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP).
It was gathered that this new biometric emergency passport is designed to facilitate the secure and verifiable return of Nigerians abroad whose passports have expired, are lost, or have been stolen.
The Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) will replace the current paper-based Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC).
This was made known by the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, who disclosed this during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes held in Abuja, which Nigeria co-hosted with the Government of France.
According to Nandap, STEP incorporates biometric data, aligning Nigeria’s temporary travel documentation with international security standards.
She added that the new biometric emergency passport is strictly a temporary, single-entry document to enable Nigerian citizens to return home only.
This was also contained in a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, on Wednesday.
In the statement, Nandap noted that “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.”
The meeting brought together key stakeholders in migration management, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, NAPTIP, ECOWAS, AU, EU, and representatives of African and European countries.
The high-level forum also focused on strengthening collaboration to combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking, emphasising prevention, protection, and prosecution across regional migration routes.
In her keynote address, titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses,” Nandap outlined the Service’s broader reform agenda aimed at enhancing migration management systems, international cooperation, and capacity building.
The statement reads in part: “The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, pcc, mmis, fsmn, participated in the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat and Niamey Processes, organized and co-hosted by Nigeria in collaboration with the Government of France. While speaking at the meeting, she announced that the Nigeria Immigration Service is set to introduce a Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) to replace the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC).
“Building on this framework, the CGI explained that the forthcoming Single Travel Emergency Passport (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.
“She noted that the travel document will be issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad and will be valid only for single entry, reinforcing the Service’s commitment to efficient service delivery and robust identity protection.
“The initiative forms part of the Service’s ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening Identity Management and Border Governance frameworks in line with global best practices.
“The Comptroller-General reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global migration dialogues, emphasising that the Nigeria Immigration Service will continue to align its policies and operations with international standards to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration across borders.”
