Nigeria Immigration Service to Launch One-Time Emergency Passport for Citizens Abroad

The Nigeria Immigration Service is preparing to introduce a new Single-Use Emergency Passport to assist Nigerians overseas who are unable to travel due to expired, lost, or stolen passports.

The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, disclosed the initiative during a high-level migration meeting in Abuja attended by African and European delegates, as well as international agencies involved in border and identity management.

The new document will replace the current Emergency Travel Certificate and will be issued exclusively at Nigerian embassies and consulates. It will be valid for a single entry into Nigeria, allowing stranded citizens to return home through a secure and verifiable process.

According to Nandap, the move forms part of ongoing reforms aimed at modernising Nigeria’s identity systems, improving border governance, and aligning immigration procedures with global standards.

She emphasised that the system will offer a faster and more reliable solution for Nigerians abroad who urgently need to return home but cannot access standard passport services. She also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to international cooperation on migration, particularly in tackling human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

The forum where the announcement was made focused on strengthening collaboration, enhancing protection systems, and improving law enforcement responses across regional migration routes.