Nigeria’s Immigration Service has denied reports circulating online that a specific region of the country has been disqualified from obtaining passports, describing the claim as false and misleading.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Service said the report was a “gross misrepresentation” of ongoing government reforms aimed at modernising the country’s passport system.
Officials said the reforms involve a phased migration of passport offices, including those in foreign missions, to a centralised production framework.
The process, which began in 2024, is intended to improve efficiency, strengthen security and enhance the integrity of passport issuance, rather than exclude any part of the population.
According to the Immigration Service, passport offices in several states in the North East and North Central regions including Borno, Yobe, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau have already been integrated into the new system. Thirty-five international processing centres across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America have also been onboarded.
The Service added that migration of passport offices in the five South East states; Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo is currently under way and is expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2026. Additional international centres in Italy, Greece, Spain, Switzerland and Austria are also being integrated during this phase.
Authorities said a structured timetable had been put in place to ensure a smooth transition and avoid disruptions to passport processing.
The Immigration Service urged the public to ignore what it described as speculative and unfounded reports, saying it remained committed to providing equitable services to all Nigerians while improving operational standards.
