Nigerian travel enthusiast and global nomad, Ogundana Mcdolly, has called on the Federal Government to accelerate the adoption of digital passport and immigration systems following Europe’s transition from physical passport stamping to electronic border processing.

Mcdolly made the appeal in a statement issued on Wednesday after his recent trip through Charles de Gaulle Airport, where he experienced Europe’s newly implemented Entry/Exit System that records travellers’ movements electronically instead of using traditional passport stamps.

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

According to him, the shift signals the gradual end of an era in international travel documentation, particularly across Europe and North America, where paperless immigration systems are increasingly becoming standard practice.

Mcdolly noted that while some travellers view passport stamps as keepsakes, many Nigerian passport holders regard them as evidence of successfully navigating strict visa and immigration requirements.

Describing himself as one of Nigeria’s most travelled citizens using a Nigerian passport, he said he has accumulated more than 1,000 visa entry and exit stamps across multiple passports, with each stamp representing a unique journey and achievement.

He explained that digital immigration systems could greatly benefit frequent travellers by reducing the need for passport renewals caused by filled pages rather than expired validity periods.

Mcdolly described the passport renewal process in Nigeria as often stressful and time-consuming, particularly for regular international travellers who exhaust passport pages within a short period due to repeated visa stickers and immigration stamps.

According to him, electronic travel records would help preserve passport pages and enable travellers to maximise the lifespan of their travel documents, transforming passports into durable identity documents rather than booklets that quickly run out of space.

Despite the benefits, he expressed concern over the disappearance of physical passport stamps, describing them as symbols of personal history, resilience and global mobility for many travellers from developing countries.

He observed that while Europe and North America are rapidly embracing digital border management systems, several countries across Africa, Asia and South America still rely heavily on traditional ink-stamping methods.

The travel expert said this has created a divide between regions operating fully digital immigration systems and those maintaining conventional documentation processes.

Nonetheless, he acknowledged the advantages of digital border management, including greater efficiency, enhanced security and reduced human error. He urged Nigerian immigration authorities and the Federal Government to study global trends and modernise the country’s passport and border management systems in line with international best practices.

According to Mcdolly, although digital systems may eventually replace the memories associated with passport stamps, they offer greater convenience and operational efficiency in an increasingly technology-driven world.