Hundreds of Nigerians in the United States are facing significant challenges renewing their passports due to a prolonged glitch in the National Identification Number (NIN) portal, managed by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
The issue, which has persisted for nearly eight weeks as of July 26, 2025, has left many unable to complete passport applications, putting them at risk of job loss, expired visas, and potential deportation.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) requires NIN verification for all passport renewals, a policy implemented to streamline identity management but now causing widespread frustration due to the portal’s downtime.
Applicants must access the NIS portal where discrepancies between NIN and passport data can halt the process.
The NIMC’s planned mobile app for diaspora NIN enrollment, announced in March 2025, remains unreleased, further complicating access to services.
The Nigerian Consulate in Atlanta acknowledged the issue, urging applicants to ensure their NIN details match their passport data exactly, but offered no timeline for resolving the portal’s outage.
Nigerians in the diaspora, particularly in the US, have reported long delays at enrollment centers, with some unable to secure appointments due to the system’s failure.
This has sparked concerns about the broader impact on Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem, critical for governance and economic inclusion under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
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