FG unveils temporary passports for Nigerians living abroad

 

The Federal Government (FG) has announced the replacement of the emergency travel certificate with a temporary passport for security reasons.

MuchTalksBlog garnered that the temporary passport is a new genre of travel document that will be issued at the Nigerian Embassies abroad to Nigerians wishing to return home but whose national passport was not available.

This stance by the FG was made public by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who inaugurated the temporary passport at the Nigeria Immigration Service headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday, March 9.

According to a statement by the NIS spokesman on behalf of the FG, Sunday James, titled, ‘Nigeria Immigration Service launches the Nigerian Temporary Passport,’ the minister stated that the temporary passport was designed for a one-way travel to Nigeria only and that the new document replaces the hitherto Emergency Travel Certificate which was issued to Nigerians in emergency situations for the purpose of returning home.

‘’He maintained that the temporary passport is ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) compliant and is valid for only 30 days before the date of travel and it is not in any way a replacement for the Nigerian passport as it will only serve a temporary purpose in the case of loss or misplacement of the Nigerian passport by a Nigerian abroad,’’ the statement noted.

In his remarks, the Comptroller-General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, stated that the replaced ETC was a huge security threat to Nigeria and also the global community; “because it was an ordinary paper devoid of necessary security features of a travel document.’’

He said the TP has a chip as well as surface personalization; which is an enhancement of the Electronic Passport Management System.

Meanwhile, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has stated his administration will widen opportunities for women; to participate in governance in the state.

Sanwo-Olu made the assertion at the 2021 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration; organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, on Tuesday, March 9, in Ikeja.

The theme of 2021 IWD is: ”Women in Leadership: Achieving An Equal Future In A COVID-19 World”; and the slogan is ”Choose To Challenge”.

The governor said that issues concerning women and youths; had remained on the priority list of the state government since the inception of his administration.

According to him, women play vital roles in the development of any society; and what the society stands to lose by denying them the opportunity to actualise their potential.

Sanwo-Olu called on all women to continue to amplify their voices in their quest for gender equality; and desire to occupy more space in leadership at the very top.