Singapore Chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO), on Tuesday, the encouraged the Federal Government to implement an electronic passport application process to combat the issue of false web registration.
In a phone conversation with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Engr. Birinengi Harry offered the suggestion.
He was commenting after the Nigerian Consulate in New York raised a red flag about a fraudulent website claiming to be able to register and renew passports.
“Internet fraud remains a huge problem globally, as we migrate towards a digital economy, thankfully the issue of fake websites for registration and renewal of passports has not surfaced here in Singapore.
“This may partly be due to the unavailability of immigration services at the Nigerian High Commission, requiring Nigerians travelling to neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, for passport services.
“It is noteworthy, in recent years, the Nigeria mission in Singapore has graciously collaborated with their Malaysian counterparts, to bring passport renewal services to Singapore.
“It will be highly appreciated if this ad hoc arrangement is made quarterly, since government services around the world have become more digital”, Harry said.
He identified e-governance, including accessibility, simplification of processes and transparency to be the potential benefits of electronic passport applications that could far outweigh the application risks.
He, however, urged government and Nigeria diplomatic missions to transit faster into the digital space, so as to achieve targets.