Sunday Olubiyi, the passport control officer (PCO) of the Nigeria Immigration Service in Ogun, says the process of obtaining an emergency travel certificate (ETC), a product of the NIS, has been streamlined for efficiency.

Mr Olubiyi said in an interview with journalists on Saturday in Abeokuta that the ETC is dedicated for Nigerians living abroad, especially for applicants with expired passports who require a single-journey travel certificate to the country.

He said the command was already witnessing patronage of international travel passports despite the hike in cost.

The federal government had, with effect from September 1, approved the review of the cost of procurement of the document.

He said that based on the review, a 32-page passport booklet with five-year validity, previously N35,000, is now N50,000 only and a 64-page booklet with 10-year validity, formally N70,000, is now N100,000.

Mr Olubiyi said that despite the upward review of the costs, applicants were still attracted to the command as the yuletide approached.

“The surge of applicants is traceable to Nigerians outside the country visiting home for vacation,” he said.

However, he revealed that when Kemi Nandap, comptroller-general of immigration service, visited the command recently, the prices were deliberated.

(NAN)