Nigerians residing in the United Kingdom have raised concerns over prolonged delays in the renewal and issuance of international passports, calling on the Minister of Interior to urgently intervene in the matter.
Many of the affected citizens lamented that the process, which they said was already cumbersome, has worsened despite recent reforms introduced by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to improve service delivery for Nigerians in the diaspora.
They alleged that bottlenecks within the system and operational challenges at the Nigerian High Commission in London have made it increasingly difficult to secure appointments for biometric capture, passport renewal, and issuance of new documents for children born abroad.
Some applicants further claimed that despite paying over $300 in processing fees, they were unable to complete their applications, describing the experience as both frustrating and financially draining.
A Birmingham-based Nigerian, Kilani Ajotena, alleged that the situation appeared deliberately designed to frustrate applicants.
“It is as if there is a deliberate effort to make it difficult for us to renew our passports or obtain new ones for our children,” he said.
Another affected applicant in Peterborough, Fredrick Amaefune, said appointment slots for biometric enrolment at the Nigerian High Commission in London were being pushed as far as six months ahead, a development he described as unacceptable.
“That is simply unacceptable. How can our country treat us this way?” he asked, urging the Minister of Interior to take immediate steps to address the challenges.
He added that the same reforms introduced to ease passport processing had instead created new difficulties, exposing applicants to fraudsters who exploit desperate citizens seeking faster solutions.
“Some of us have fallen victim to scammers while trying to renew our passports or process new ones for our children,” he said.
Similarly, a Northampton-based father, Laolu Adetutu, said he had been unable to complete the National Identification Number (NIN) registration for his three-year-old son despite repeated attempts over several months, a requirement needed for passport processing.
“I have taken my son to the designated centre several times, but after four months, we still have not been able to complete the process,” he said.
He also disclosed that his wife’s passport renewal had remained unresolved since November 2025, adding that the situation had become embarrassing for Nigerians living abroad.
“They are deliberately frustrating Nigerians in the UK and creating opportunities for extortion in the passport renewal process,” he alleged.
The affected Nigerians called on the Minister of Interior to urgently review the current system, insisting that the reforms were not achieving their intended purpose and were instead damaging Nigeria’s image internationally.
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