Nigeria is considering the option of producing its ePassports in country, rather than relying on international firms.The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Muhammad Babandede, told local media this weeek that plans are underway for the domestication of the productionHe said that the NIS was working round the clock with the support of the federal government to start the local production of the e-passports through the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Ltd. by 2018.The e-passport is currently being produced by Iris Smart Technology Nigeria Ltd. through its parent company, Iris Corporation based in Malaysia.The comptroller-general said that the measure was to save cost, ensure the security of a critical database, and create more jobs for Nigerians.He said that the Minister of Interior had set up a committee comprising critical stakeholders to work out the modalities and implementation of the project.He said that since there was a subsisting contract presently, all stakeholders including the National Assembly would have to be carried along to realise the laudable project.Chairman, House Committee on Interior, Adams Jagaba, condemned the use of foreign companies for the production of the passport and other services.Jagaba said the foreign companies "go away with more than 70 per cent of the revenue generated from the production of the document while the federal government takes less than 30 per cent.
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