Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
A Nigerian travel enthusiast and global nomad, Ogundana Mcdolly, on Wednesday, urged the Federal Government to fully embrace digital passport and immigration systems following Europe’s transition from physical passport stamping to electronic border processing.
He made the call in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, after his recent trip through the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, where he experienced Europe’s newly operational Entry/Exit System, which replaces traditional passport stamps with digital records.
Mcdolly popularly known as The9jaboy in the statement titled, “The End of the Ink Era: What We Lose When Passport Stamps Go Digital,” described how he arrived in Paris on May 23, 2026, expecting the usual Schengen entry stamp on his Nigerian passport, only to discover that his movement had been recorded electronically.
He said, “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.”
Mcdolly noted that while many tourists may see passport stamps as mere souvenirs, holders of the Nigerian passport often view them as proof of overcoming strict visa requirements and immigration hurdles.
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 digitalisation of immigration processes could significantly benefit frequent Nigerian travellers who often struggle with passport renewals caused by exhausted pages rather than expired validity periods.
He described the Nigerian passport renewal process as stressful and time-consuming, noting that high-frequency travellers sometimes run out of pages within months due to repeated visa stamps and stickers.
“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.
He, however, lamented the cultural loss associated with the disappearance of physical immigration stamps, describing them as symbols of resilience, movement and personal history for many travellers from developing countries.
Mcdolly observed that while Europe and North America are rapidly embracing digital border systems, many countries across Africa, Asia and parts of South America still rely on traditional ink stamping.
He said this has created a divide between regions operating fully digital immigration systems and those maintaining physical travel documentation methods.
He nonetheless acknowledged the advantages of digital border management, including improved efficiency, enhanced security and reduced human error, urging Nigerian immigration authorities and the Federal Government to study global trends and modernise the country’s border and passport management systems in line with international standards.
“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.
