The Nigerian Consulates in New York and Atlanta have officially taken delivery of a passport printing machine, respectively, bringing an end to years of frustrating delays in passport issuance and renewal.
This development follows relentless advocacy from the Organization for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN), New York, and its partner organisations, who have long called for decentralised passport printing to ease the burden on Nigerian citizens in the U.S.
At a Town Hall meeting recently, the Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Ambassador Abubakar Jidda, confirmed the arrival and installation of the machine, stating that it marks a turning point in the provision of consular services.
Until now, officials from New York and Atlanta Consulates had to travel to Washington, D.C. to process passports – a practice that caused significant delays and frustration among Nigerians across multiple states under the Consulate’s jurisdiction.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has been widely commended for his prompt and decisive intervention in addressing the passport crisis.