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The Federal Government has hinted that Nigerian passports will henceforth be respected at foreign borders after being integrated into the International Civil Aviation Organisation Public Key Directory and Public Key Infrastructure.
The FG made this known through the Ministry of Interior on the X platform on Tuesday 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.
However, his claim in the video elicited backlash from netizens who scolded him for talking down on Nigeria’s passport to promote a less-known country’s passport.
A few hours later, the travel content creator quoted the video apologising 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.”
Meanwhile, 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,” it added.
Meanwhile, checks by our correspondent to reveal the country under the ICAO PKD member countries revealed Nigeria as one.
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 checkpoints; 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.
Further checks also revealed that joining the PKD is a proactive approach to fighting international terrorism and organised crime.
Currently, the ICAO PKD has 61 member states worldwide, of which 30 are OSCE participating states and five are OSCE Partners for cooperation.
