The inauguration was also to bring services of the electricity company closer to the applicants.

The projects, inaugurated by Mr Adeoye Fadeyibi, Managing Director, EKEDC, were the renovated and furnished Passport Controller Office Wing and EKEDC Customer Sales Point.

Fadeyibi said the execution of the projects was a way of strengthening the relationship between the Disco and Ikoyi Passport Office.

He said that it was aimed at creating a befitting environment for Nigerians seeking to obtain their international passports.

“Over 1,000 people come here for their passport applications daily, and for us, we believe that there is need for them to have a more comfortable access,” Fadeyibi said.

He commended the immigration authorities for approving the setting up of the customer centre within the busy facility, noting that it would grant customers easy access to EKEDC services.

“The purpose of having this customer centre here is to give people waiting to obtain their passports the opportunity to be able to do their transactions relating to EKEDC.

“They can pay their bills and pay for prepaid meters without any hitches, ” Fadeyibi said.

He noted that EKEDC was committed to achieving 24-hour power supply to customers within its operational network and was upgrading its infrastructure toward the objective.

“Electricity is a right to humans in 2020 and it is something that we should start moving toward. If we want to be taken seriously as a nation, there should be electricity,” Fadeyibi said.

On his part, Mr Mannir Yari, Passport Control Officer, Ikoyi Passport Office, commended EKEDC for the gesture, stressing that it had helped to solidify the relationship between the company and the NIS.

He said this was the 11th project executed so far by corporate organisations under his tenure, which had positively impacted on Nigerians coming to the centre to obtain their passports.

Yari said: “As far as the immigration service is concerned, we have gone far. Currently in the Ikoyi Passport Office, when you apply for passport, you get it within a maximum of 72 hours, except there is a hitch.

“Even if there is a hitch, we communicate to the applicant, and after addressing the issue, we produce the passport.

“Also, the synergy between NIS and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is working very well here and we are able to address issues concerning applicants.”