The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced plans to introduce a Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) for Nigerians stranded abroad due to lost, stolen, or expired passports, enabling them to return home safely.
The new STEP document will replace the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) and will be issued only at approved Nigerian embassies and consulates overseas.
Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, revealed the initiative during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat and Niamey Processes, co-hosted by Nigeria and France.
The announcement was contained in a statement on Wednesday by the Service’s spokesperson, ACI Akinlabi.
According to Nandap, the STEP passport will serve as a single-entry travel document and provide secure, verifiable identification for Nigerians returning home. She said the move is part of broader reforms aimed at improving identity management, border security, and aligning Nigeria’s migration processes with global best practices.
“The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, pcc, mmis, fsmn, participated in the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat and Niamey Processes, organised and co-hosted by Nigeria in collaboration with the Government of France. While speaking at the meeting, she announced that the Nigeria Immigration Service is set to introduce a Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) to replace the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC),” the statement read in part.
“The CGI explained that the forthcoming Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) will serve as a temporary travel document for Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen, enabling them to return home in a secure and verifiable manner. She noted that the travel document will be issued at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad and valid only for single entry, reinforcing the Service’s commitment to efficient service delivery and robust identity protection.”
The meeting drew stakeholders from federal agencies, ECOWAS, the African Union and European partners, with discussions centered on combating migrant smuggling and protecting vulnerable migrants.
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