The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap, disclosed this at the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat and Niamey Processes, co-hosted by Nigeria and France.
According to a statement by the NIS Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, the STEP will serve as a temporary travel document for Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen, enabling them to return home safely and securely.
“The forthcoming Single Travel Emergency Passport will be issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad,” Nandap explained. “It will be valid only for single entry, reinforcing the Service’s commitment to efficient service delivery and robust identity protection.”
The initiative is a major component of the NIS’s reform agenda aimed at modernising Nigeria’s identity management systems and aligning border control operations with global best practices.
The high-level meeting brought together key stakeholders in migration management, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, and migration officials from several African and European countries.
Discussions focused on strengthening coordinated responses to migrant smuggling and human trafficking, with emphasis on prevention, protection, and prosecution along African and European migration routes.
In her keynote address titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses: The Nigeria Immigration Service Perspective,” Nandap reiterated the Service’s determination to combat irregular migration through enhanced border security, improved migration systems, and stronger international partnerships.
She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global migration dialogues, stating that the Immigration Service would continue to align its operations with international standards to promote safe, orderly, and regular migration.
The introduction of the STEP document is expected to simplify emergency travel procedures, curb identity fraud, and enhance the credibility of Nigeria’s travel documentation system worldwide.