News Investigators/ The Embassy of Nigeria in Doha, Qatar, has reduced passport processing time to about two weeks after biometric capture, amid rising demand for renewal and issuance by Nigerians in the country.
The embassy disclosed this in a report made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.
It said the improvement followed a dedicated Passport Intervention exercise conducted between Aug. 11 and Aug. 21, which serviced 751 Nigerians.
According to the report, 441 applicants requested five-year passports, while 310 applied for 10-year passports.
The embassy said distribution of the printed passports began on Sept. 18, less than a month after the biometric capture exercise ended.
Nigerian Ambassador to Qatar, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, described the turnaround as evidence of the mission’s efforts to improve consular services and respond to the needs of Nigerians in the diaspora.
“This is a significant milestone for our embassy and, most importantly, for Nigerians living in Qatar.
“The fact that passports are now being completed and returned within about two weeks of capture demonstrates our commitment to improving service delivery and responding to the needs of our community,” Yakubu said.
He said passports were essential to Nigerians abroad for international travel, employment, residency and other official requirements.
“We recognise the importance of passports to our citizens, particularly for international travel, employment, residency and other official requirements.
“We will continue to work to ensure that Nigerians receive the services they need in a timely and transparent manner,” he added.
Members of the Nigerian community in Qatar welcomed the development, saying delays in obtaining travel documents could affect employment and residency documentation.
NAN