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Checkout Three Generations Of Passports Used In Nigeria From 1960 Till Date
Nigeria has come a long way as a country, we had our history as a nation ruled by the British colonials who dedicate our way of life to us. The Nigerian passport is an identity that all Nigerian citizens that are traveling outside the country must have and process before they can be allowed in or outside the country.
A passport is a travel document, usually issued by a country’s government to its citizens, that certifies the identity and nationality of its holder primarily for the purpose of international travel. Standard passports may contain information such as the holder’s name, place and date of birth, photograph, signature, and other relevant identifying information.
Many countries issue (or plan to issue) biometric passports that contain an embedded microchip, making them machine-readable and difficult to counterfeit. As of January 2019, there were over 150 jurisdictions issuing e-passports. Previously issued non-biometric machine-readable passports usually remain valid until their respective expiration dates.
It is therefore to note that Nigerian passports are issued to Nigerian citizens to travel outside of Nigeria. Nigeria now offers only electronic passports for new passport applications. These electronic passports, known also as the e-passport, are classified as either “Standard” or “Official”, depending on the intended use.
Nigerian passports can be applied for either at the physical location of the Nigeria Immigration Services or by making a submission through its website. Nigerians living in other countries may obtain passports through the nearest Nigerian embassy or consulate.
Here are some facts about Nigerian passports…
- The Passport as a travel document was first introduced in Nigeria in 1948 after the Second World War and was then called the British West African Passport.
- At Independence in 1960, Nigeria changed the colour to light green and reduced the pages to 32 and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became the issuing authority.
- The qualification for working in the passport office was only good handwriting as the passport was manually written. The mode of transaction was cash paid at the counter
- In 1988, the authority to issue all travel documents in Nigeria was transferred to the Nigerian Immigration Service and in 1998 ten years after the issuance was transferred to the Nigerian Immigration Service, a significant change occurred with the introduction of Machine Readable Passport (MRP). The Machine Readable Passport is a computer-based passport, it is significant because it presents a major shift from the handwritten manual method, which was characterized by fakery and imitation.
- Certain deficiencies associated with MRP Passports compelled the Nigerian Immigration Service to again introduce e-passport on July 27, 2007. The e-passport as it is commonly called is officially known as the ‘’ECOWAS Harmonized Electronic Smart Passport.’
Below are generations of the Nigerian Passports Transformation
The First Generation
This particular passport was popular between 1960 towards the 90’s. It has an attached passport photograph, the personal information is handwritten.
First Page
The backpage
Visa-Page
Renewal-Page
Data-Page
The E-Passport
The E-Passport was introduced on July 27th, 2007 to replace the old passport. This is to reduce multiple registrations, fake passports, non-appearance etc.
According to NIS, The Enhanced E-Passport is part of the new reforms approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria. It is a product of an intensive review of the existing e-passport booklet which has been in circulation for over 10 years and has only 5-year validity.
Features and benefits of the Enhanced E-Passport Reforms
These include:
* Introduction of a new security-enhanced passport;
* Polycarbonate technology that enhances the quality of the passport;
* Ten-year validity booklet that saves frequent visit to passport offices;
* Automation of issuance process to bring about transparency and address touting/middlemen;
* Strictly online payment based;
* Provision of conducive processing environment for applicants;
* Provision of effective and compliant address mechanism.
Back page
Visa Page
First Page
Data Page
The New Nigerian Electronic International Passport (Enhanced e-Passports)
The Enhanced e-Passport replaced the Machine-Readable e-Passport. The Enhanced e-Passport is part of the new reforms approved by the Federal Government.
“It is an intensive review of the former e-passport booklet which has been in circulation for over 10 years and has only 5-year validity.
First Page
Visa Section
Data Page
Photos Credit: TravelWaka
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