Nigerians in the Diaspora have expressed frustration over repeated passport renewal and biometric capture failures at Nigerian embassies, following a technical glitch that reportedly left several applicants stranded.
The complaints surfaced on social media after a Nigerian woman whose identity is yet to be known, narrated her experience at the Nigerian Embassy in Sweden, where applicants who had travelled from different parts of Europe were unable to complete their passport processes.
According to her, Nigerians from countries including Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Finland and several cities in Sweden arrived at the embassy, many with confirmed appointments, but were turned back without their biometrics being captured.
She said embassy officials attributed the situation to a lack of connection with Abuja, noting that all applicants were asked to return at an unspecified date despite the costs incurred on flights, trains and ferries.
The woman lamented that no alternative arrangements or compensation were provided, adding that the disruption was not an isolated incident and had affected Nigerians seeking consular services in other countries.
She, however, noted that the ambassador in Sweden repeatedly addressed the affected applicants and expressed sympathy over the situation, describing him as courteous and concerned.
Checks showed that the embassy, which was previously commended for same-day passport processing, has struggled with service delivery since losing the capacity to print passports locally.
The development has reportedly made the mission fully dependent on centralised systems and approvals from the Nigeria Immigration Service headquarters in Abuja, resulting in recurring delays and technical challenges for applicants abroad.
