The Federal Government has approved printers to stop the passport crisis in Atlanta and New York in the United States following a petition from Nigerians in Diaspora.

The Minster of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, acknowledged the receipt of a petition bothering on appeal for passport printers in Atlanta and New York Consulates.

To address this issue, the minister in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Alao Babatunde, on Thursday has since approved and directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to immediately deploy new printers to the passport offices in both cities.

According to Babatunde, these printers are ready for installation, with this short-term solution aimed to resolve the current challenge promptly.

“The minister hinted that there is a new solution being implemented as a long-term plan that will usher in a streamlined passport regime, enabling Nigerians to apply for their passports with more ease,” he said.

“Part of this plan includes the activation of the Passport Personalisation Centre in Abuja, which is scheduled to start in the next few weeks while also opening up more countries for the already-deployed contactless solution.”

Babatunde said the Ministry of Interior under Tunji-Ojo is working round the clock, and none of the agencies is left behind.

He added that at the Nigeria Immigration Service, for instance, there has been an end-to-end automation of the passport application process and the introduction of the contactless application process, which has since been launched in Canada.

The spokesman said the minister has assured that the government of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to ensuring that Nigerians experience renewed hope laced with innovation and convenience while still enhancing national security. (The Guardian)