Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, says the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) will be launched in January 2026.
Tunji-Ojo spoke on Friday in Abuja during the launch of the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) biometric ID card.
Earlier this month, Kemi Nandap, comptroller-general of the
Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), announced that the STEP would replace the
emergency travel certificate (ETC).
An ETC is a one-way travel document for Nigerian citizens
abroad who have lost their passports or are stranded, allowing them to return
to the country.
Nandap said STEP would be an improved measure for stranded
Nigerians abroad to return home in a secure and verifiable manner.
At the time, the NIS CG did not mention when the new
single-use passport would be launched.
The interior minister disclosed more details about the ID
while speaking about the ministry’s recent reforms.
“This initiative will enable Nigerians abroad who lose their
passports to generate an emergency travel document using any mobile device
without visiting an embassy,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The minister urged Nigerians to trust the government’s
capacity to tackle national challenges and called for collective support for
ongoing security reforms.
The STEP is only valid for a single entry.
According to the NIS, the ID is part of wider reforms to
strengthen border governance, enhance identity management, and align its
operations with international migration standards.
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