The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced plans to introduce a new biometric travel document known as the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) to assist Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen to return home safely.
Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, disclosed this during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes, co-hosted by Nigeria and the Government of France in Abuja.
A statement by the Service Public Relations Officer, Akinwale Akinlabi, on Wednesday said the new document will replace the current Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) as part of ongoing reforms to strengthen identity management and border governance in line with international best practices.
According to Nandap, the STEP will serve as a temporary single-entry passport that enables Nigerians abroad to travel home in a secure and verifiable manner.
“The STEP will serve as a temporary travel document for Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen, enabling them to return home in a secure and verifiable manner,” she said.
She added that the new passport will be issued only at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates and will be valid for a single entry into the country.
Nandap said the initiative reflects the Service’s commitment to efficient service delivery, robust identity protection, and the adoption of modern border management systems.
The meeting brought together major stakeholders in migration management, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), NAPTIP, ECOWAS, African Union (AU), European Union (EU), and representatives of various African and European countries.
The high-level forum focused on strengthening collaboration to tackle migrant smuggling and human trafficking through enhanced prevention, protection, and prosecution across regional migration routes.
Delivering a keynote address titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses,” Nandap highlighted the Service’s broader reform agenda to improve migration systems, international cooperation, and capacity building.
She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global migration dialogues, assuring that the NIS will continue to align its operations with global standards to promote safe, orderly, and regular migration.