The High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the United Kingdom has announced that it will begin the rollout of the Enhanced e-Passport with a 5 to 10 year validity on Tuesday, 23rd November 2021 at the Northumberland Avenue, London office.
African Voice reports that following the roll out of the Enhanced e-Passport in Nigeria in January, 2019, the Nigeria Immigration Service decided it will fine tune the processing and production of the Enhanced e-passport before it is launched overseas.
Nigeria High Commission, London is the first overseas mission to commence the issuance of the Enhanced e-passport outside Nigeria.
Advantages of the Enhanced e-Passport over the current e-Passport include:
i. Improved security features, which further guarantee the security of the document;
ii. More options for applicants to choose from in terms of pages of booklet and length of validity;
iii. Better protection of the booklet from physical damage from water and other liquid substances;
iv. Safeguard/protection against alteration/manipulation; and
v. Improved protection of the passport and its bonafide owner.
Categories of Enhanced e-Passport
a. 32-page booklet with 5 – Year validity;
b. 32-page booklet with 10–Year validity; and
c. 64-page booklet with 10 – Year validity.
Major requirement for Enhanced e-Passport
A major requirement for the issuance of the Enhanced e-Passport is the National Identification Number (NIN).
In this regard, the following seventeen (17) NIN Enrolment Centres in five (5) cities namely Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leicester, London and Southampton have been licensed by the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) to process NIN for Nigerians in the United Kingdom:
Aberdeen (1) Simplify International Synergy Limited office, Ruthrieston Community Centre, 532-536 Holburn Street, Aberdeen AB10 7LL Telephone: +44 0203 8023899 Website: https://simplifysynergy.com
Glasgow (ii) Eh-Led Global Resources Limited office, 97 Kingston Street, near Bonnypack Cash & Carry, Tradeston, Glasgow, G5 8BJWebsite: https://ehledglobal.com
Leicester (iii) Online Integrated Solutions office, St. Georges House, 6 St Georges Way, Leicester LE1 1SH Websites: Defcon Systems Limited (DSL) National eAuthentication Limited (NeAL)
(iv) VFS Global office, Peepul Centre, Orchardson Avenue, Leicester, LE4 6DP Website: https://dantatauniversal.com
London (v) Knowledge Square Nigeria Limited office, 160 Maple Road, London, SE20 8JB Website: https://iqid.ng/
(vi) Online Integrated Solutions office, 56/57 Fleet street London EC4Y IJU Websites: Defcon Systems Limited (DSL) National eAuthentication Limited (NeAL)
(vii) Thabez Global Resources Limited/Cox & Kings, 169 Old Kent Road, Ground Floor, SE1 5NA London Website: https://nin.thebezglobalresource.com
(viii) VFS Global office, 66 Wilson Street, London, EC2A 2BT Website: https://dantatauniversal.com
(ix) Simplify International Synergy Limited office, 5 Goodwins Court, St. Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4LL Website: https://simplifysynergy.com
(x) Eh-Led Global Resources UK Limited, 2nd Floor, 1 – 3 Atwell Road, SE15 4TW London, UK Telephone: +44 02030111004 Website: https://www.ehledglobal.com
(xi) Pandus Powell’s Nigeria Limited, Unit 18, 17/73 Nathan Way, London SE28 0BQ Website: https://www.panduspowells.com.ng
(xii) Simplify International Synergy Limited office, 128 Peckham Hill Street, London, SE15 5JT 4LL Telephone: +44 0203 8023899 Website: https://simplifysynergy.com
(xiii) Eh-Led Global Resources Limited office, Unit 9, 17 Argall Avenue, London E10 7QE Website: https://ehledglobal.com
(xiv) Eh-Led Global Resources Limited office, Suite 106 (1), Plaza 668, 66 Hitchin Road, Luton LU2 7XH Website: https://ehledglobal.com
(xv) Eh-Led Global Resources Limited office, 277A Green Street, E7 8LJ, Upton Park Website: https://ehledglobal.com
(xv) IT Touch Limited office, Unit E2, 429-431 Wick Lane, Bow, London E3 2JG Website: https://ittouch.io
Southampton (xvii) Seamfix Limited office, 317 Shirley Road, Shirley, Southampton SO15 3HW Telephone: +44 7756 23805, +44 1274 003915 Website: https://www.seamfix.com
Pending e-Passport Applications at the Nigeria High Commission, London
As of today, Thursday, 18th November 2021, 4,093 Applicants for passports are awaiting invitation for biometrics. The Mission has since re- opening in April 2021, cleared the backlog of 19,195 as at 16th April 2021.
The Mission has altogether produced 42,085 passports between 16th April and 17th November 2021. As of today, the Mission has cleared the backlog from December 2019 to May 2021 – a spate of pending applications for 18 months. The Mission shall continue to invite applicants for pending e-passport applications until the outstanding backlog for biometrics up to 19th November 2021 are captured and produced.
Meanwhile, the current e-Passport payment portal is expected to be shut down by midnight of Friday, 19th November 2021.
Thereafter, no e-Passport application would be accepted and all applications shall migrate to the Enhanced e-Passport system with effect from Saturday, 20th November 2021, when the Enhanced e-Passport would be opened for application and processing. All passport applicants for the new Enhanced e-passport are therefore enjoined to register and obtain their National Identification Number (NIN) at any of the accredited Centres before online application for the Enhanced e- passport.
It is pertinent to note that the e-passport applicants who have already applied shall continue to receive attention until the last applicant has been attended to, while applicants for the Enhanced e- passport shall also receive invitation by email from the Mission. This is to allow the two systems to run simultaneously in order to address the needs of the existing applicants until the last application on November 19th 2021 has been processed.
The production and postage of the Enhanced e-passport to respective applicants is expected within three weeks after biometrics.
The costs of the Enhanced e-passport would be determined by the Nigeria Immigration Service before the commencement of online application.
The introduction of the Enhanced e-Passport by the Nigerian Government is in compliance with the ICAO regulation, yearnings of Nigerians for longer-lasting and cost-effective travel documents.
The High Commission has promised to continue to update all Nigerians on any new development and appeal to applicants to exercise patience, as their applications would continue to be processed.
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