NIS to launch biometric single travel emergency passport for Nigerians stranded abroad

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has unveiled plans to introduce a new biometric travel document known as the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP), aimed at assisting Nigerians abroad whose passports have expired, been lost, or stolen, to return home safely.

Kemi Nandap, Comptroller-General of Immigration, announced the initiative during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes, held in Abuja and co-hosted by Nigeria and the Government of France.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Akinsola Akinlabi, Service’s Public Relations Officer, the new STEP document will replace the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC).

Nandap described the change as part of NIS’s ongoing reforms to strengthen identity management and border governance frameworks in line with international standards.

“The 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 said.

The Comptroller-General further explained that the STEP will be issued only at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad and will be valid for a single entry into Nigeria.

She emphasised that the measure underscores the Service’s commitment to efficient service delivery, robust identity protection, and the adoption of global best practices in migration management.

The Abuja meeting gathered key stakeholders in migration management, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, and representatives from several African and European countries.

According to the statement, the forum focused on enhancing collaboration to combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking across regional migration routes, highlighting prevention, protection, and prosecution as key pillars of the collective response.

Read also: EFCC, Immigration repatriate 192 foreign cybercrime convicts

Delivering a keynote address titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses,” Nandap also outlined the broader reform agenda of the NIS.

She noted that the Service is prioritising improvements in migration management systems, international cooperation, and capacity building to ensure safe and orderly mobility.

“Nigeria remains committed to regional and global migration dialogues. The Nigeria Immigration Service will continue to align its policies and operations with international standards to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration across borders,” the Service noted.