The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has unveiled plans to launch a new Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP). This is a biometric, one-time travel document aimed at assisting Nigerians stranded abroad due to lost, stolen, or expired passports.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, announced the initiative during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes, co-hosted by Nigeria and France in Abuja.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Service Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, Nandap explained that the STEP initiative is part of NIS’s comprehensive reform strategy to strengthen Identity Management and Border Governance in line with international best practices.
She said the new passport would replace the current Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC), providing a more secure and verifiable system for Nigerians in the diaspora.
“The STEP will serve as a temporary, single-use travel document issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad to facilitate the safe return of Nigerians whose passports are lost, expired, or stolen,” the Comptroller-General stated.
According to her, the new system underscores the Service’s commitment to improving efficiency, safeguarding national identity, and enhancing border security.
The Abuja meeting, which brought together key actors in regional migration management, including NAPTIP, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, and representatives of African and European countries, focused on deepening cooperation against migrant smuggling and human trafficking.
In her keynote address, titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses,” Nandap emphasised that the Service’s reforms aim to strengthen international collaboration, enhance migration management capacity, and align Nigeria’s policies with global migration standards.
She reaffirmed that Nigeria remains committed to promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration, adding that the introduction of STEP marks another milestone in modernising the country’s immigration framework and protecting citizens’ identities worldwide.
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