Nigeria completes ICAO PKD Integration, eases global passport verification

The federal government has completed Nigeria’s integration into the International Civil Aviation
Organisation’s (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD), a move expected to ease, improve passport verification at border control points worldwide, and strengthen the security of the country’s travel documents.

Bola Tinubu, President of Nigeria, through the ministry of Interior, successfully imported all of Nigeria’s Country Signing Certificate Authorities (CSCAs) into ICAO PKD, a move the Nigeria Immigration Service says will eliminate passport verification challenges for Nigerians across world borders.

The ceremony marking the completion, led by Kemi Nanna Nandap, comptroller-general of Immigration, was held at the ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada.

In a statement issued by AS Akinlabi, service public relations officer on Tuesday, the exercise was undertaken to resolve passive authentication challenges faced by some Nigerian passport holders at select foreign border control points.

Read also:Diaspora Nigerians laud contactless passport reforms as wait times drop to days

With the import of all existing CSCAs into the ICAO PKD, Nigerian passports can now be verified seamlessly by border control systems in all ICAO PKD member states.

According to the statement, the integration establishes a chain of trust that allows automated systems worldwide to confirm the authenticity and integrity of Nigeria’s e-passports in real time.

“This milestone reflects the Nigeria Immigration Service’s continued investment in secure digital identity management and international border security cooperation, in tandem with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” the statement said.

It added that the development reaffirms the service’s commitment to advancing the integrity of Nigeria’s travel documents, promoting global interoperability, including seamless border clearance for holders of Nigerian passports.

The ICAO PKD is the central repository used by member countries to share the digital certificates that validate electronic passports and travel documents.

Nigeria’s full participation is expected to reduce delays, improve security checks, and enhance the global acceptance of the Nigerian passport.