FG to restrict residence permit

The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service,
Mohammed Babandede said as from January 2018, there will be no
residence permit renewal for foreigners without national
identification number.

Babandede said this yesterday while addressing State House
reporters after a meeting of database harmonization committee.

He also stated that anyone without identification number from
the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) would no
longer be issued the Nigerian passport, explaining that this was
aimed at easing business in Nigeria.

“There is a practical commitment to this; we’ve agreed that from
2018, 1st January, anybody who is going to apply for Nigerian
Passport, whether renewal or fresh must first have a NIMC number,
national identity number. We want to ease business for Nigeria.
There is no need for you to go and have your bio metric captured by
NIMC and then you come and capture again with the Nigeria
Immigrations. Once you give us your NIMC number we will collect the
bio metric from NIMC and produce your passport.

“I have also given directive that any foreigner, non Nigerian
resident in Nigeria will not get his permit renewed. He or she will
not get his renewed until he has a NIMC number. To achieve this,
NIMC and passport numbers will be harmonized and we are committed
to allow NIMC in immigration.

“All NIMC staff can work in our passport office, so when you
come to get the passport you can also get the National identity
card. The NIMC has also allowed immigration staff to work in their
offices, so anybody who is coming to claim Nigerian citizenship
they will help to identify that citizen. That is the cooperation
that we have had so far,” he said.

Asked whether tax certificate would be a precondition for
obtaining passport, he said: “We’re not talking of tax; we’re
talking of e-government. We want to have one e-government. What
government is saying is that when you want to collect any facility
from any government agency, you don’t need to look for the document
from any other government agency.

“We should be able to access it, we should be able to know
whether you have paid your tax or not. If you are coming through
the airport and you want to leave Nigeria, we should be able to
know that this guy has not paid his tax and you should be able to
pay your tax before you depart. We are looking at one e-government
and it is possible.”

The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service,
Mohammed Babandede said as from January 2018, there will be no
residence permit renewal for foreigners without national
identification number.

Babandede said this yesterday while addressing State House
reporters after a meeting of database harmonization committee.

He also stated that anyone without identification number from
the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) would no
longer be issued the Nigerian passport, explaining that this was
aimed at easing business in Nigeria.

“There is a practical commitment to this; we’ve agreed that from
2018, 1st January, anybody who is going to apply for Nigerian
Passport, whether renewal or fresh must first have a NIMC number,
national identity number. We want to ease business for Nigeria.
There is no need for you to go and have your bio metric captured by
NIMC and then you come and capture again with the Nigeria
Immigrations. Once you give us your NIMC number we will collect the
bio metric from NIMC and produce your passport.

“I have also given directive that any foreigner, non Nigerian
resident in Nigeria will not get his permit renewed. He or she will
not get his renewed until he has a NIMC number. To achieve this,
NIMC and passport numbers will be harmonized and we are committed
to allow NIMC in immigration.

“All NIMC staff can work in our passport office, so when you
come to get the passport you can also get the National identity
card. The NIMC has also allowed immigration staff to work in their
offices, so anybody who is coming to claim Nigerian citizenship
they will help to identify that citizen. That is the cooperation
that we have had so far,” he said.

Asked whether tax certificate would be a precondition for
obtaining passport, he said: “We’re not talking of tax; we’re
talking of e-government. We want to have one e-government. What
government is saying is that when you want to collect any facility
from any government agency, you don’t need to look for the document
from any other government agency.

“We should be able to access it, we should be able to know
whether you have paid your tax or not. If you are coming through
the airport and you want to leave Nigeria, we should be able to
know that this guy has not paid his tax and you should be able to
pay your tax before you depart. We are looking at one e-government
and it is possible.”