Nigeria upgrades passport security with global ICAO authentication system.

The Federal Government has strengthened the authentication of Nigerian international passports by successfully importing all its Country Signing Certificate Authorities (CSCA) into the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD).

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Akinsola Akinlabi, said the ceremony marking the successful import was held at the ICAO Headquarters in Montreal, Canada.
The statement noted that the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nana Nandap, led the exercise, which was undertaken to address the passive authentication challenges experienced by some Nigerian passport holders at selected foreign border control points.
It explained that with the successful import of all Nigeria’s existing CSCAs into the ICAO Public Key Directory, establishing a trusted chain of verification, Nigerian passports can now be seamlessly authenticated by border control systems in all ICAO PKD member states.
According to the statement, the achievement underscores the Nigeria Immigration Service’s continued investment in secure digital identity management and international border security cooperation, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The statement added that the development reaffirms the Service’s commitment to enhancing the integrity of Nigeria’s travel documents, promoting global interoperability, and ensuring smoother border clearance for holders of Nigerian passports.