Nigeria: Whether fingerprints were required when applying for a Nigerian passport in 2004 at the Lagos passport office
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Document Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Immigration Service stated that the capturing of fingerprints "was not a standard procedure at the Lagos passport control office" before 2004 (Nigeria 1 Dec. 2016). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Assistant Comptroller of Immigration of the Nigeria Immigration Service similarly indicated that "fingerprinting was not a standard procedure for processing a Nigerian passport at the Lagos Passport Office" before 2004 (ibid. 29 Nov. 2016).
Without providing further information, sources indicate that an e-passport system, which uses fingerprints, was launched in 2004 (Government Technology 4 May 2004; Managing Partner 29 Nov. 2016). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a managing partner of a Toronto-based law firm whose areas of practice include Canadian immigration and refugee law, as well as Nigerian immigration law, explained that
[t]he country did not begin the issuance and use of the [e]-passport until 2007. Prior to 2007, the Nigerian government required the applicant for a passport to provide acceptable identity documents, his/her passport photo and details of his/her name and birth only. (ibid.)
The Assistant Comptroller of Immigration noted that fingerprinting begun as a practice in 2007 and "is [now] a requirement for [the] issuance of a Nigerian passport" (Nigeria 29 Nov. 2016). The Managing Partner similarly indicated that
[t]he [e]-passport introduced in 2007 requires the applicant to submit his/her fingerprint impression for record keeping and it forms a part of the passport. Therefore, fingerprinting is a requirement for the issuance of a Nigerian passport and biometrics was introduced to travel passports in Nigeria in 2007. (Managing Partner 29 Nov. 2016)
According to the Document Fraud Unit representative,
[t]he enrollment of [fingerprints] in the Nigerian passport started with the commencement of the issuance of the Nigerian [e-passport] in July 2007 … [F]ingerprints are captured along with facial biometric and bio-data of the passport applicant at the enrollment stage which comes after an approval for the issuance of the passport application at all the passport issuing office[s] in Nigeria and foreign missions. (Nigeria 1 Dec. 2016)
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Government Technology. 4 May 2004. Miriam Jones. "Nigeria Adopts Biometric Passport Issuance." [Accessed 18 Nov. 2016]
Managing Partner, Topmarké Attorneys LLP, Toronto. 29 November 2016. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.
Nigeria. 1 December 2016. Nigeria Immigration Service, Document Fraud Unit. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate.
Nigeria. 29 November 2016. Nigeria Immigration Service. Correspondence from the Assistant Comptroller of Immigration to the Research Directorate.
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: International Organization for Migration; IRIS Smart Technologies Limited; Nigeria – High Commission in Ottawa, Nigeria Immigration Service.
Internet sites, including: IRIS Smart Technologies Limited; Nigeria – High Commission in Ottawa, Nigeria Immigration Service; Planet Biometrics; Premium Times; SecurityIDNews; Vanguard News.