Nigerian government authorizes NIN verification fees for passport services
Nigerians will soon have to pay a fee for the verification of their National Identification Number (NIN) when applying for an international passport, according to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
In a statement issued Monday by NIMC’s Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke, the agency hinted that the fees are part of a framework it agreed with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to improve the speed with which passport services are delivered in the country.
“The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) wishes to inform the general public that it has devised and agreed on a framework with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to significantly improve the quality of service, accuracy, and speed of passport services through timely verification of the National Identification Number (NIN),” according to a statement.
Many Nigerians have recently encountered difficulties in attempting to verify their NIN during the international passport registration process. This, among other things, causes passport production to be delayed.
The NIMC announced in 2022 that plans were in the works to allow Nigerians to verify their NIN on its website in order to expedite the issuance of international passports to applicants.
In a statement issued on Monday, the identity management agency explained that the new arrangement is in line with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy’s directive to streamline passport application, renewal, and issuance processes.
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“As a result, a NIN Verification fee would be charged for each Nigerian passport application for this service,” according to the statement.
According to the new framework, which is set to go into effect on April 1, Nigerian citizens living in the country will be charged N1000 for NIN verification for each Nigerian passport application.
