By Adeola Badru

The Federal Government has been urged to accelerate the digital transformation of Nigeria’s passport and border management systems following Europe’s transition from traditional passport stamping to fully electronic immigration processing.

The call was made yesterday by Nigerian travel enthusiast and global nomad, Ogundana Mcdolly, popularly known as The9jaboy, after experiencing Europe’s newly operational digital Entry/Exit System during a recent trip through Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France.

In a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Mcdolly said Nigeria must align with emerging global standards in border control and travel documentation by embracing digital passport and immigration technologies.

In the statement titled, “The End of the Ink Era: What We Lose When Passport Stamps Go Digital,” he recounted arriving in Paris on May 23, 2026, expecting the customary Schengen entry stamp on his Nigerian passport, only to discover that his arrival and movement had been recorded electronically.

According to him, “the development signals the gradual end of an era in global travel documentation, especially across Europe and North America, where paperless immigration systems are becoming the norm.”

Reflecting on the significance of passport stamps, Mcdolly noted that while many tourists view them merely as travel souvenirs, Nigerian passport holders often regard them as evidence of successfully navigating stringent visa processes and immigration requirements.

He said, “As the most travelled Nigerian using a Nigerian passport, with over 1,000 visa entry and exit stamps across my passports, each stamp represented a hurdle crossed and a story captured.”

Mcdolly explained that the growing digitalisation of immigration processes could deliver significant benefits to frequent Nigerian travellers, many of whom are compelled to renew their passports not because they have expired, but because they have exhausted the available pages.

Describing the passport renewal process as stressful and time-consuming, he noted that high-frequency travellers often run out of pages within months due to repeated visa stickers and immigration stamps.

“The adoption of electronic travel records by Western countries would help preserve passport pages and allow travellers to maximise the full lifespan of their passports.“

“The booklet transforms from a rapidly depleting consumable into a durable identity card, a token to be scanned rather than a ledger to be filled,” he stated.

Despite acknowledging the practical advantages of digital immigration systems, Mcdolly lamented the cultural and emotional loss that comes with the disappearance of physical passport stamps, which he described as enduring symbols of resilience, mobility and personal history, particularly for travellers from developing countries.

He further observed that while Europe and North America are rapidly embracing digital border management technologies, many countries across Africa, Asia and parts of South America still rely heavily on traditional ink stamping systems.

According to him, this has created a growing divide between regions operating fully digital immigration frameworks and those that continue to depend on physical travel documentation methods.

He acknowledged the numerous benefits associated with digital border management, including greater efficiency, enhanced security and reduced human error.

Mcdolly, therefore, urged the Federal Government and Nigerian immigration authorities to closely study evolving global trends and modernise the nation’s passport and border management architecture in line with international best practices.

“Although digital travel systems may erase the physical memories attached to passport stamps, they offer long-term convenience and operational relief for travellers navigating increasingly technology-driven,” he added.