New 64-page e-passport to cost N20,000
President Goodluck Jonathan has decried the bad image visitors to Nigeria have of the coun­try, blaming same on the treatment meted out to them at the nation’s international airport by officials of Nigeria Immigration Service.
He gave the charge at the launch of the new 64-page e-passport at the Council Cham­bers of the Presidential Villa, where he noted that if immi­gration officers conduct them­selves poorly, it reflects on the country.
The new passport launched by the president will be is­sued to Nigerians at the cost of N20,000 and will still expire after five years.
Speaking at the short cer­emony before the weekly Fed­eral Executive Council meet­ing in Abuja, Jonathan urged Nigerians to paint respectful pictures of their country so that others will see it in that light.
“What affects every traveller is how efficient and committed our immigration officers are at our airports. Visitors that come into the country have different impressions about our immi­gration officers, so they must improve; because they are the image of this country. How they handle visitors matters so much and if they conduct themselves poorly, it reflects on all of us, so their conduct at the airports is key besides the passport.
“The issue of the image of the country is what we will all work for it, both people in gov­ernment, the media and civil society and I always say that when people continue to paint their country with all kinds of colours, that is the way they will associate those colours with your green passport.
“I want a situation that whenever you travel to another country and you raise your green passport, people will appreciate you and not when you raise your green passport, people will begin to think that that green passport signifies some suspicious character.
“If our passport could be easily faked by criminals, then we will have problems. One thing again is how Nigerians can be able to get passport eas­ily, especially those living out­side this country,” he said.
The new 64-page e-pass­port is specially designed for frequent travellers as well as businessmen and will cost N20,000. The e-passport for those below 18 years will cost N8,750, while those from 18-60 years will pay N15,000 for the e-passport. Those that are 60 years and above will pay N8,750 for the passport while change of data or of loss of passport will attract N20,000.
Change of name as a re­sult of marriage, divorce and deceased spouse will cost N8,750, while change of data on request will attract a pro­cessing fee of N30,000.
Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, said with the inception of the e-passport in 2007, Ni­geria became the first country in Africa and the 50th in the world to commence the use of the electronic passport with en­hanced security features.
He also said the ongoing e-Passport Intervention Exercise, “is a clear demonstration of government’s commitment to entrenching seamless service delivery to Nigerians wherever they are found.
Giving the advantages of the new 64-page e-passport, the Minister noted that it will enhance the integrity of the Nigerian travel document, take care of low income earners and the aged, accommodate frequent travellers, forestall identity theft and conform with international best practices.
The Comptroller General, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), David Paradang, ex­plained after the launch that the 64-page e-passport is a spe­cial demand for only frequent travellers while the 32-page e-passport is the normal pass­port.

Jonathan charges Immigration on Nigeria’s image