From January one twenty-eighteen, anybody without National Identification Number issued by the National Identity Management Commission will not be able to procure Nigerian passport.

The condition applies to both first-time applicants and those renewing their expired document.

Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mohammed Babandede, said after a meeting of database harmonisation committee, saying the decision was taken as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to ease the process of doing business in the country.

Babandede said henceforth, there would be no need for individuals to have their biometrics captured by the NIS and NIMC separately.

He said the harmonisation of data and requires all of us to act but the biggest problem we are facing is that everybody is deploying his own technology.

Babandede said he had directed that have also given directive that permits of foreigners resident in Nigeria should not be renewed without NIN.

To achieve this, the NIS boss said identification numbers and passport numbers would be harmonised.

All NIMC staff can work in our passport office. So, when you come to get your passport, you can also get the national identity card.

The NIMC has also allowed immigration staff to work in their offices. So, anybody who is coming to claim Nigerian citizenship, they will help to identify that citizen. That is the cooperation that we have had so far,” he explained.

Babandede said government’s aim was to put in place what he called e-government.