The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced the rollout of an enhanced passport tracking feature, following mounting public complaints over delays in passport issuance and collection.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a post on X on Thursday, the Service said it introduced the update after observing that hundreds of completed passports had remained uncollected, a situation it said had contributed to growing frustration among applicants.
Under the updated system, a new status — “PRODUCED (PASSPORT PRODUCED, READY FOR COLLECTION)” — has been added to the existing passport tracker. The Service said the feature is designed to give applicants clearer visibility on when their passports are ready for pickup or courier delivery.
According to the NIS, the update would help applicants distinguish between delays in passport production and situations where passports have already been produced but are yet to be collected or delivered.
“This update enhances the existing tracking system, and helps applicants stay informed about timelines for passports produced and awaiting collection (for physical collection) or produced but not delivered (for courier delivery),” the Service stated.
The announcement followed weeks of heightened criticism from passport applicants, including prominent Nigerians, who have taken to social media to express frustration over prolonged delays, sometimes stretching into several months. Some applicants also alleged the existence of deliberate bottlenecks within the system.
One of the most notable complaints came from investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo, who shared his experience of waiting more than six months for a passport renewal, despite completing payment and biometric capture in July 2025.
“It is now six months since I paid and applied for the renewal of my international passport,” Soyombo wrote in a post that attracted over 1,400 likes and hundreds of reposts. He described the much-touted immigration reforms as “gallery play and public sentiment manipulation,” while accusing the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of failing to deliver promised changes.
In response, the NIS said Soyombo’s passport had already been produced and was ready for delivery, adding that delays could sometimes arise from incomplete applications or technical issues on the platform.
The development comes against the backdrop of repeated increases in passport fees. Last year, the Service raised the cost of a 32-page passport with five-year validity from ₦50,000 to ₦100,000, while the fee for a 64-page passport with 10-year validity doubled from ₦100,000 to ₦200,000.
The latest increment, which took effect on September 1, 2025, marked the second price hike within 12 months. In August 2024, the Service had earlier increased the price of the 32-page passport from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000, citing the need to improve efficiency and document quality.
