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NIGERIA – Residence Permit Renewals Will Require National Identification Number

1 January 2018 is the deadline for foreign nationals legally residing in Nigeria to obtain a National Identity Number (NIN) issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

Without a NIN, a foreign national will not be able to obtain or renew a long-term work and residence permit.

Background

On 1 August 2017, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), announced that, as of 1 January 2018, no international passport or residence permit would be issued by the NIS without the applicant providing a National Identity Number issued by the National Identity Management Commission upon enrolment in the National Identity Database.

NIMC staff are to be deployed to NIS and other government offices to facilitate enrolment and the issuance of National Identity Numbers. Full details of the implementation of this policy have not yet been released.

Enrolment consists of the recording of an individual’s personal data and capture of fingerprints, a head-to-shoulder facial picture and digital signature.

Action Items

  • Employers of long-term foreign residents in Nigeria should ensure their employees obtain a National Identity Number by 1 October 2017 to avoid problems renewing their permits.

This alert was drafted using information provided by Bloomfield Law Practice and Famsville Solicitors.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this immigration alert has been abridged from laws, court decisions, and administrative rulings and should not be construed or relied upon as legal advice. If you have specific questions regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Peregrine © 2019 Peregrine Immigration Management Ltd.