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.
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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.
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“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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