The Federal Government’s special intervention to ease passport processing for Nigerians in the United Kingdom has encountered operational challenges barely a day after commencement, with applicants alleging delays, poor coordination and demands for additional administrative fees.
The intervention, which began on Monday, September 7, was designed to address backlogs involving new passport applications, renewals and other pending cases among Nigerians living in the UK.
However, videos and posts circulated on social media on Monday showed Nigerians gathered at some of the designated intervention centres, with applicants complaining about delays and difficulties gaining access to the facilities.
One video showed a crowd waiting outside a locked entrance believed to be the passport intervention centre in Manchester.
An X user who shared the video said applicants who arrived early in the morning were still waiting several hours later without being attended to. ‘It is now 11:30 a.m., and people who arrived as early as 9:00 a.m. are still waiting, with nothing happening,’ the user said.
The user expressed concern that some applicants had travelled long distances and taken time off work to participate in the exercise.
‘This is not the way to treat Nigerians who have taken time off work, travelled long distances, and paid for passport services,’ the post added.
The applicant called for better planning, organisation and communication to prevent a recurrence of the problems.
‘Please, we cannot continue doing things this way. We need proper planning, better organisation, clear communication, and an efficient system that respects people’s time and dignity,’ the user said.
Another video purportedly recorded at one of the intervention centres in London showed a man asking Nigerians gathered at the venue to leave the premises.
According to social media posts accompanying the video, the man was identified as the owner of the lounge reportedly booked for the passport intervention exercise.
He was heard expressing frustration over the organisation of the exercise, alleging that there were inadequate security personnel and staff at the venue.
‘We’re done for today, deal with the embassy, I can’t take it. It’s unorganised, no security, no staff,’ the man said in the video. An X user who posted the video further alleged that the venue owner contacted the UK police following the disruption.
The user also claimed that the venue operator had complained about non-payment and the absence of adequate personnel to manage the exercise.
‘You successfully embarrassed us in front of the UK police and a Lebanese owner because of your incompetence. He said he hasn’t been paid, no staff, no security,’ the user said.
The post further claimed that only a small number of applicants had been attended to several hours into the exercise, alleging that ‘three people’ were attended to in one hour and that only 12 people had been processed by 2 p.m.
The allegations could not be independently verified from the videos and social media posts.
Beyond complaints over delays and coordination, some Nigerians also accused officials involved in the intervention of demanding an additional £70 described as an administrative fee.
The allegation has generated further concerns among applicants, particularly because the Federal Government had announced official passport fees for the intervention without indicating that applicants would be required to pay an additional administrative charge.
The Ministry of Interior, however, moved to clarify the issue on Monday, denying that the government or the Nigeria Immigration Service had introduced any additional charge for the exercise.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, said he was concerned about the difficulties encountered by Nigerians during the commencement of the intervention.
In a statement issued by Alao Babatunde, his special adviser on media and publicity, the minister said the government was aware of the inconvenience experienced by applicants and was working with relevant authorities to address the challenges.
Tunji-Ojo also rejected reports that applicants were required to pay additional administrative fees.
‘It is therefore necessary to clarify that this process does not come with extra cost different from the official fees of $150 and $230 for a five-year and ten-year validity passports respectively, exclusive of bank charges,’ the statement said.
‘Neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service has introduced any other charges outside the aforementioned.’
The minister said consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that the challenges experienced at the centres were resolved.
He said the government was committed to making the intervention exercise more efficient and ensuring that Nigerians living in the UK could access passport services without unnecessary hardship.
The passport intervention exercise was launched last month as part of efforts by the Federal Government to address the backlog of passport applications affecting Nigerians in the UK.
The exercise is scheduled to run from September 7 to 19 across selected locations in the UK and is targeted at Nigerians requiring new passports, renewals and resolution of pending passport cases.
The intervention is part of efforts by the government to improve passport services for Nigerians in the diaspora, amid longstanding complaints over delays, appointment difficulties and challenges accessing consular services.