Yuletide: FG to allow Nigerians with expired passports return home

According to Daily Trust, the federal government has directed that Nigerians whose passports have expired but who intend to visit their country to celebrate the holiday be granted entry without any obstacles.

Through the Office of Assistant Comptroller General, Border Management, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) requested that Nigerians “be admitted into the country with their expired Nigerian passports” in a letter dated December 22, 2023, addressed to Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

I am instructed to address the aforementioned topic and notify you that, as part of her endeavours to ease the lives of Nigerians living abroad, the Federal Government of Nigeria has authorised the admission of all Nigerians returning home into the country with their expired Nigerian passports.

“I am further directed to inform airlines coming to Nigeria to allow holders of Nigeria expired passports to board without let.

“In furtherance to the foregoing, all Nigeria Embassies and High Commissions are advised to give this directive the highest publicity it deserves.

“Consequent upon the above, all entry/exit points are by the copy of this letter directed to open a help desk for all Nigerians in this category and directed same to passport offices where their passports will be reissued within a maximum of two (2) weeks,” the letter sighted by Daily Trust stated in part.

Meanwhile, the media aide to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir, could not confirm the receipt of the letter, adding that he was not in the office at the moment.

The phone number of the NIS spokesperson, Dotun Aridegbe, did not connect when our correspondent called to confirm the authenticity of the letter.

However, a reliable source at the NIS who wouldn’t want to be named confirmed that the policy was not new as the Federal Government did the same last year.