Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Federal Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iris Smart Technology Limited, an indigenous company, and the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc., at the Ministry of Interior, in Abuja, yesterday, for the printing of the Nigerian passport, locally.
Doing that, government believes that would provide employment for Nigerians to acquire skills in passport production.
Domestication of the printing of the Nigerian passport entails that production of e-passport would be done in Nigeria alone and will no longer by foreigners.
No official date was announced for commencement of the local production of the document.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, said he was glad to witness the signing of the MoU.
On his part, Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Mohammed Babandede, thanked the minister for ensuring that domestication of production of the passport was achieved.
He said the Nigerian Immigration Service is the greatest beneficiary of the development and assured that the passport would be of high quality.