The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce a Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) to replace the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) for Nigerians abroad.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), 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.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, the new STEP document will serve as a temporary travel passport for Nigerians whose passports are lost, stolen, or expired, allowing them to return home safely and securely.
“The forthcoming Single Travel Emergency Passport (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,” Nandap stated.
She explained that the STEP would be issued only at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates and would be valid for a single entry into the country. The initiative, she said, reflects the Service’s commitment to efficiency, secure identity management, and global best practices.
The NIS noted that the introduction of STEP is part of its ongoing reform agenda to strengthen identity management, border governance, and enhance service delivery.
The high-level meeting brought together stakeholders in migration management, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), and representatives from various African and European countries.
Discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in combating migrant smuggling and human trafficking, improving inter-agency coordination, and promoting the protection of migrants’ rights.
In her keynote presentation titled “Insights on Prevention and Protection as Strategic Pillars to Effective Law Enforcement and Prosecution Responses: The Nigeria Immigration Service Perspective,” Nandap highlighted the Service’s broader strategy to combat irregular migration, improve border security, and deepen international collaboration.
She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global migration dialogues, pledging that the NIS would continue to align its operations with international standards to promote safe, orderly, and regular migration.
The introduction of STEP follows other modernization initiatives recently rolled out by the NIS, including a digital platform for the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) and a centralized passport personalization system capable of producing up to 5,000 passports daily, cutting processing time to as little as four to five hours.
