The federal government has strengthened the international authentication of Nigerian passports by successfully importing all the country’s Country Signing Certificate Authorities (CSCAs) into the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD).

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) said this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by its service public relations officer, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration (DCI) Akinsola Akinlabi.

Mr Akinlabi said the milestone was achieved on July 13 during a ceremony at the ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada, led by the Comptroller-General of the NIS, Kemi Nandap.

He said the exercise was aimed at addressing passive authentication challenges encountered by some Nigerian passport holders at selected foreign border control points around the world.

According to him, the integration of all Nigeria’s existing CSCAs into the ICAO Public Key Directory has established a trusted verification chain for Nigerian travel documents.

“With the completion of the process, Nigerian passports can now be authenticated seamlessly by border control systems across all member states of the ICAO PKD,” he said.

Mr Akinlabi said the development would enhance the credibility and global acceptance of Nigerian passports while improving the travel experience of citizens across international destinations.

He described the achievement as a major step in the NIS’ ongoing efforts to strengthen secure digital identity management and deepen international border security cooperation.

The immigration spokesman said the initiative aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and its efforts to modernise public service delivery.

“The successful integration also underscores the commitment of the Ministry of Interior, under the leadership of the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to modernising Nigeria’s immigration and travel document management systems.

“The development will further promote global interoperability and facilitate smoother border clearance processes for holders of Nigerian passports around the world,” he said.

Mr Akinlabi reaffirmed the NIS’ commitment to advancing the integrity, security and international recognition of Nigeria’s travel documents through global best practices and technological innovation.

He expressed optimism that the achievement would boost confidence in Nigerian passports and strengthen Nigeria’s participation in international travel and border management systems. 

(NAN)