The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced plans to launch a Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) — a biometric document designed to help Nigerians living abroad return home safely if their passports are expired, lost, or stolen.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, made this known during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes held in Abuja, which was co-hosted by Nigeria and the Government of France.
Okay News reports that the announcement was contained in a statement by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, on Wednesday.
According to Nandap, the introduction of the STEP is part of the Service’s reform agenda aimed at enhancing Identity Management and Border Governance in line with international best practices.
She explained that “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.”
The new travel document will replace the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) and will be issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad. It will be valid only for single entry, ensuring a higher level of security and authenticity in processing emergency travel requests.
The Abuja meeting brought together several international migration stakeholders, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NAPTIP, ECOWAS, African Union, European Union, and representatives from various African and European countries.
The high-level forum focused on strengthening cooperation to combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking, with emphasis on prevention, protection, and prosecution along migration routes.
In her keynote address titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses,” Nandap highlighted the NIS’s commitment to aligning its policies with global standards to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration across borders.
