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The Federal Government on Tuesday revealed that Nigerian passports would be globally respected at the border following a recent integration with the International Civil Aviation Organisation Public Key Directory and Public Key Infrastructure.
The Federal Government made the revelation via a post by the Ministry of Interior on X platform while replying to a tweet by a travel content creator, Tayo Aina.
On Monday, Aina made a promotional video for a St. Kitts passport that he got for $150,000, allaying fears about exploring the world with his Nigerian passport, according to The Punch report.
However, his claim in the video generated a heat and a backlash from netizens who criticised him for talking down on Nigeria’s passport to promote a less-known country’s passport.
Few hours after the post, the travel content creator apologised for his previous take on the country’s passport.
He wrote, “I’m sorry, guys. I lied. With this passport, you’re not just a traveller; you’re a global citizen. It liberates you with visa-free access to over 149 countries, opening up a world of opportunities for you.
“Immigration officers around the globe respect it, and you will get VIP treatment once you present it at any airport worldwide. It’s priceless.”
Reacting, the handle of the Ministry of Interior quoted his tweet, saying, “Nigerians will now enjoy a smoother and more secure travel experience as the Nigerian passport has been integrated into the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD) and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
“The ICAO PKD and PKI systems ensure that the data embedded in electronic passports, such as biometric information, can be verified against trusted sources.
“This means that Nigerian passports can now be authenticated more efficiently at international borders, reducing delays and enhancing security."
The benefits for the PKD member countries include enabling a simple, fast, and cost-efficient way of validating ePassports; multilateral data exchange is more efficient than bilateral diplomatic exchanges; your citizens will be more respected at foreign border check-points; the possibility of falsifying the document is diminished as the compromised or false chips are immediately detected; citizens with e-Passports can enjoy easier border crossings, among others.
