International travel is set to become more seamless for Nigerian passport holders following a major milestone in the country's digital travel infrastructure.
Nigeria has successfully integrated its Country Signing Certificate Authorities (CSCAs) into the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD), enabling Nigerian electronic passports to be authenticated more efficiently by border control systems across participating member states.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) announced the development in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
According to the Service, the integration was completed during a ceremony held on Monday, July 13, 2026, at ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada. Led by Comptroller General of Immigration Kemi Nanna Nandap, the exercise addressed passive authentication challenges that had affected some Nigerian passport holders at selected foreign border control points.
With the process now complete, Nigerian e-passports can be verified seamlessly across all ICAO PKD member states.
"With the completion of the import process of all Nigeria's existing CSCAs on the ICAO Public Key Directory to establish a chain of trust, Nigerian Passports can now be verified seamlessly by border control systems in all ICAO PKD member states," the NIS stated.
The ICAO Public Key Directory is a centralized global platform through which participating countries securely exchange the digital certificates used to authenticate electronic passports. Instead of relying on separate bilateral exchanges of verification data, member states upload and access passport authentication information through a single trusted system that complies with ICAO's technical standards and supports global interoperability.
The PKD has more than 100 participants worldwide and with Nigeria's CSCAs now uploaded to the directory, immigration authorities across participating countries can verify the authenticity of Nigerian e-passports more quickly, strengthening border security while simplifying international travel for Nigerian passport holders.
The NIS said the achievement signals its continued investment in secure digital identity management and international border security cooperation. It added that the milestone reinforces Nigeria's commitment to protecting the integrity of its travel documents, enhancing global interoperability, and facilitating smoother border clearance.
The development also underscores Nigeria's steady progress in adopting globally recognised digital standards, strengthening confidence in the country's travel documents and reinforcing its integration into the international travel ecosystem.
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