Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has expressed his commitment to supporting the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in addressing the challenges associated with the processing of international passports.
In a press statement released by his spokesperson, Gboyega Akosile, the governor reiterated his administration’s dedication to facilitating the passport processing procedures in Lagos state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu’s pledge comes in response to the NIS acting Comptroller General, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, who recently declared a State of Emergency concerning the crisis surrounding the acquisition of international passports.
Adepoju’s declaration was officially announced on Friday through a statement signed by NIS spokesperson Tony Akuneme in Abuja.
During her visit to Lagos, Adepoju gained a deeper understanding of the difficulties faced by Nigerians when obtaining fresh or renewal international passports, as mentioned in the statement.
“The Lagos State Government would collaborate with the NIS to address issues which included the provision of land for staff residence and passport offices, furniture for offices, and a good working environment for staff among others,” Akosile wrote.
“”That is towards their bid to make the federal agency more effective in meeting the needs of Lagosians and Nigerians.”
Akosile further noted that the governor spoke on Friday when the leadership of the NIS led by its acting Comptroller General, Adepoju, paid him a courtesy visit at the Lagos House in Ikeja.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu enjoined the NIS to show dynamism and put innovative ideas in place using technology to make the visa application and issuance easy for investors in the international community to come to Nigeria and Lagos in particular,” Akosile added.
Wishing Adepoju success in her new assignment, Sanwo-Olu implored the NIS to judiciously utilise the support provided by the Lagos State Government.
“The governor also tasked the Nigeria Immigration Service on proper documentation of migrants in Nigeria, adding that the agency should embark on advocacy programmes for people, especially migrants to be law-abiding and desist from committing crimes,” Akosile said.
Adepoju, on the other hand, recently mentioned that the NIS is utilizing technology and implementing strong administrative procedures to improve the process of applying for and issuing Passports.
She appealed to all Nigerians to be patient and work together with the NIS as it implements effective measures to tackle the Passport crisis.
Additionally, the head of the NIS reassured the public that endeavors are underway to ensure that every eligible Nigerian in need of a Passport can obtain one without unnecessary delays.
