Nigeria launches new emergency passport for citizens abroad

A new travel document designed for a one-way travel to Nigeria only and which replaces the Emergency Travel Certificate issued to Nigerians to return home in emergency situations has been launched.

“The Nigerian Temporary Passport (NTP) is a travel document designed for a one-way trip to Nigeria only,” Federal Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbeshola, said on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Service in Abuja.

He described the NTP as a new genre of passport that will be issued at Nigerian embassies and high commissions to Nigerians who want to return home but whose national passport is not available.

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“The NTP 4-page booklet will now replace the unstandardized Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC),” he added. “The NTP does not in any way serve as a replacement for the Nigerian passport.”

The NTP is an electronic document that has all the features of a regular passport, only that it is temporary and valid for one trip and will be retrieved from the user at the entry point.

“NTP will be issued to Nigerians to return home in emergency situations in the case of loss or misplacement of their passport and it is valid for only 30 days after issuance or arrival in Nigeria, whichever comes first,” the minister said.

Muhammad Babandede, the Comptroller-General of the NIS, who also spoke at the event described the temporary passport as a catalyst for Nigeria’s desire for effective identity management as it has a chip and surface personalisation.

“These features are an enhancement of the current Electronic Passport Management System,” he said.

Doyin Ipede