The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced plans to introduce a Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) to replace the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) for Nigerians abroad. This applies to those whose passports are lost, stolen, or expired.
The new travel document is designed to facilitate secure and verifiable single-entry travel back to Nigeria. It provides stranded citizens with a more efficient means of returning home.
The initiative was unveiled by the Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), Kemi Nanna Nandap. This took place during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes, jointly hosted by Nigeria and the Government of France.
According to a statement signed by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, ACI Kenneth Akinlabi, on Wednesday, the STEP passport forms part of NIS’s broader reforms. These are aimed at strengthening border governance, enhancing identity management, and aligning operations with international migration standards. “The Nigeria Immigration Service is set to introduce a Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) to replace the existing Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC),” the statement quoted Nandap as saying.
She explained that the STEP will serve as a temporary travel document for Nigerians abroad whose passports have expired, been lost, or stolen. This will allow them to return home in a secure and verifiable manner.
The document, she added, will be issued only at designated Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad. It will be valid for a single entry, underscoring the Service’s commitment to efficient service delivery and robust identity protection.
The NIS said the introduction of STEP is one of several measures being implemented to modernize the nation’s immigration system, improve responsiveness to citizens abroad, and strengthen Nigeria’s global travel management framework.
