Immigration to replace emergency travel certificate with single-use passport

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is set to replace the emergency travel certificate (ETC) with a single travel emergency passport (STEP).

Kemi Nandap, NIS comptroller-general, announced the measure at the joint thematic meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat and Niamey processes, organised and co-hosted by Nigeria in collaboration with France.

The two-day meeting was held in Lagos and convened stakeholders in migration management including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internal Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP), representatives from ECOWAS, African Union (AU), European Union (EU), African and European countries.

An ETC) is a one-way travel document for Nigerian citizens abroad who have lost their passport or are stranded, allowing them to return to the country.

At the meeting held to combat migrants smuggling and human trafficking through improved migration management systems, Nandap said STEP is an improved measure for stranded Nigerians abroad to return home in a secure and verifiable manner.

According to a statement issued Wednesday by A. S. Akinlabi, NIS public relations officer, Nandap noted that the travel document will be issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad, valid only for single entry.

Nandap announced the measure while delivering her keynote address titled ‘Insights on prevention and protection as strategic pillars to effective law enforcement and prosecution responses’.

The NIS comptroller-general reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global migration dialogues, stressing that the immigration service will continue to align its policies and operations with international standards to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration across borders.