By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Federal Government has said it will launch the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) in January 2026, which is a digital solution to assist Nigerians abroad who lose their passports.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Friday, November 28, in Abuja during the launch of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Biometric Identity Card (EBIC).
The minister said the new system will allow citizens to generate an emergency travel document using any mobile device, eliminating the need to visit an embassy in person.
He said: “This initiative will enable Nigerians abroad who lose their passports to generate an emergency travel document using any mobile device without visiting an embassy.”
The government also said the newly-launched EBIC is aimed at ensuring border security, curbing irregular migration, and improving identity verification across the region.
With the launch, Nigeria becomes the seventh ECOWAS country to adopt the biometric card, whose technical framework was adopted at an ECOWAS summit in Abuja in 2014.
Tunji-Ojo noted President Bola Tinubu’s directive for accelerated delivery helped revive the long-delayed project, which he said would support efforts to modernise identity management and improve regional migration.
He added that the biometric card is designed to enhance border control and intelligence gathering, and would also reduce pressure on passport demand, as it can serve as a travel document within the ECOWAS region.
The minister said: “If you are travelling only within ECOWAS, you no longer need a passport. This card is sufficient for all regional travel.
“With ENBIC, Nigeria is not only strengthening its borders but reaffirming its leadership in a region seeking safer mobility, deeper integration, and a digitally driven future.”
Tunji-Ojo said the launch is linked to recent reforms, including the deployment of the UN-mandated Advanced Passenger Information System and the planned introduction of a Single Travel Emergency Passport in January for stranded Nigerians.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, represented by Permanent Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi Danjuma, said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to regional integration.
Akume said, “In our hands is a simple card, but in our hearts lies a profound hope.
“It is a tool of dignity for migrant women, an enabler for cross-border traders, and a promise of a West Africa where borders become bridges of opportunity rather than barriers.”
