FG Rolls Out Enhanced E-Passport Facility In Canada

PRESS RELEASE
FG ROLLS OUT ENHANCED e-PASSPORT FACILITY IN CANADA

As part of efforts to make Passport processing and acquisition seamless for Nigerians in the diaspora, the Federal Government on Tuesday 29th November, 2022, unveiled the enhanced e-Passport facility at the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada.

2. Commissioning the facility, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, restated the Federal Government’s commitment to citizens’ diplomacy especially in the area of improving services to the diaspora community.
3. He said the new passport satisfies all the standards set out by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is why the international organization has come to regard Nigeria with great esteem, stressing that Nigeria is the first country in Africa and fifth in the world to embrace this new technological feat.
4. “Needless to mention that Nigeria was recently re-elected into the ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD) Board for the fourth time, back to back. This is an eloquent testimony of the Federal Government’s commitment to global best practices in passport regulations” the Minister said.
5. In his remarks, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Isah Jere Idris, stated that with the roll-out of the enhanced travel document, cases of delays in processing Passports in Canada will be taken care of provided applicants abide strictly with the application guidelines including ensuring that they make use of the online application and payment platform (passport.immigration.gov.ng), as well as synchronizing the data in their passport application with the information in their NIN (National Identification Number).
6. He said the travel document comes in three categories which are;
   the 32-page Five-year validity category;
   the 64-page Five-year validity category and;
   64-page Ten-year validity category (adults only)
7. The CGI revealed that the enhanced e-Passport is of polycarbonate data page and has additional 25 security features over the current electronic Passport.
8. He assured all Passport applicants who had earlier been enrolled on the old platform that they will receive their Passports as soon as possible as enough booklets are available.
9. He enjoined those who have any complaints, to use the following channels in resolving any issue.
   (i). Twitter.….@nigimmigration;
   (ii). Facebook….@nigimmigration;
   (iii).www.immigration.gov.ng to interact and chat with our virtual assistant;
   (iv). passportinquiries@nigeriahcottawa.ca
   (v). generalinquiries@nigeriahcottawa.ca
   (vi). or better still call +16132360521-3
   11.” With this roll-out, our Passport Issuing Desk in Canada has joined their UK and USA counterparts as part of the foreign Centres that have been successfully migrated to the enhanced e-Passport regime” the CGI noted.
10. The event was attended by the Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, His Excellency Ambassador Adeyinka Asekun, the Minister of Interior, the Comptroller General of Immigration, senior officials of the High Commission, a cross section of Nigerians in Canada and members of the diplomatic community.

eSigned
DCI TONY AKUNEME
SERVICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
For: COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF IMMIGRATION
30th November, 2022