THE Federal Government on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Iris Smart Technologies Limited, for the production of e-passport booklets in Nigeria.
Managing Director of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, Mr Abbas Umar Masamawa signed on behalf of the Federal Government while the Managing Director of Iris Smart Technologies, Mr Olayinka Fisher signed for his organization with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) as the major beneficiary.
Minister of Interior, Lieutenant Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, who supervised the signing of the agreement in his office, said the Federal Government decided to use all available advantages, especially through the platform of Nigerian Security and Minting Company to be able to domesticate the production of passport booklets in Nigeria.
He noted that the process for domestication of the e-passports production commenced about 2 years ago, adding that the two partners have been talking to themselves and that the Ministry was notified a month ago that they have now reached a conclusion.
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Dambazau, said: “Before now our passport booklets have been produced outside the country. But we saw that there are several advantages of producing the booklets within the country”.
According to him, this would protect certain security issues relating to passport production, while at the same time provide an opportunity to employ Nigerians in conformity with job creation efforts of the government.
He said the transfer of technology would also ensure production of high-quality passport booklets, saying while Iris, which has an existing contract with the Nigerian government has the technology, the Minting company has the platform.
The minister pointed out that the difficulties of getting foreign exchange to send outside for the printing of the passport booklets, noting this would be eliminated completely in order not to take part of the nation’s foreign reserve
He urged the parties to ensure that Nigerians were provided with the best quality of services, stressing that he keyed into the project because he has confidence on the capacity to do that.
Masamawa, in his remarks, said the Nigerian Security and Minting Company has the capacity to produce high quality passports booklets comparable to anywhere in the world.
He also used the occasion to correct the impression that Nigerian currencies were printed abroad, saying every single kobo used in Nigeria is printed by the company.
He said: “We have the technology, we have the capacity and we have the wherewithal to produce state-of-the-art passport booklets that will compete with any international passport in the world.
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