NANS Defends FG's Passport Reform Against Marginalization Claims

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Northern Caucus, has rejected allegations that the Federal Government's passport centralisation reform is intended to marginalize Northern Nigeria. Comrade Sadiq Zango, the National Vice President (External Affairs) of NANS, stated that the reform, implemented by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), is a nationwide operational initiative aimed at enhancing security, efficiency, and service delivery.

Zango urged residents of the North-East and North-West to dismiss what he termed "deliberate falsehood" regarding the reform. He clarified that the migration of passport production to the Central Personalisation Centre in Abuja does not hinder passport processing at offices nationwide or at Nigerian embassies abroad.

The phased migration plan, set to conclude in August 2026, will include offices in the South-South, North-East, and North-West. Zango emphasized that the new framework consolidates passport booklet printing in Abuja while maintaining application processing at local offices, aiming to reduce processing time to about two weeks.