There is a looming scarcity of passport booklets due to a cash crunch, it was learnt yesterday.
Service providers are owed billions, while printed booklets are stuck in warehouses over debts.
Also, bureaucratic bottlenecks over the remittance of Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS’) share of revenues from passport issuance have become a major obstacle.
The situation is threatening to derail reforms initiated by the Federal Government to ease the burden of e-passport issuance.
It was learnt that booklets have been exhausted.
The e-passport reform is faced with bureaucratic challenges, especially with the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
The TSA is said to have become inactive as officials are yet to address all stakeholder concerns regarding funds distribution challenges.
TSA refers to a public accounting system using a single account or a set of linked accounts by the government to ensure all revenue receipts and payments are done through a Consolidated Revenue Account (CRA) at the CBN.
The development has made it difficult for the NIS to access funds to offset huge debts running into billions of naira owed service providers.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had initiated reforms that led to the clearance of over 200,000 passport backlogs.
However, the current situation may result in another accumulation if not urgently addressed.