Nigerians in UK decry passport renewal delays, urge interior minister to intervene

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Nigerians living in the United Kingdom have expressed frustration over persistent difficulties in renewing international passports and obtaining new ones for their children, alleging that the process has become increasingly cumbersome despite recent reforms by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

They accused immigration officials of creating bottlenecks that have made passport applications and renewals almost impossible, even as the government introduced a contactless renewal system aimed at easing the process for Nigerians in the diaspora.

Some applicants also claimed they paid over $300 in processing fees without successfully completing their applications.

“It is as if it is a deliberate policy to prevent us from renewing our passports and obtaining them for our children,” said Birmingham-based Nigerian, Kilani Ajotena.

Another applicant, Fredrick Amaefune in Peterborough, said appointment dates for biometric capture at the Nigerian High Commission in London were being scheduled as far as six months ahead.

“That is simply unacceptable. How can our country treat us this way?” he asked, urging the Minister of Interior to intervene.

He said the reforms, which were expected to improve service delivery, had instead made the process more difficult for Nigerians abroad and exposed many to fraudsters.

“Some of us have fallen victim to scammers while trying to renew our passports or obtain new ones for our children,” he said.

A Northampton-based father, Laolu Adetutu, also lamented difficulties in obtaining a National Identification Number (NIN), a key requirement for passport processing, saying he had been unable to complete registration for his three-year-old son after months of attempts.

“I have taken my son to the designated centre several times, but after four months, we have still not been able to complete the process,” he said.

He added that his wife’s passport renewal had also stalled since November 2025, describing the situation as frustrating and embarrassing for Nigerians abroad.

“They are deliberately frustrating Nigerians in the UK and creating opportunities for extortion in the passport renewal process,” he alleged.

The affected Nigerians urged the Minister of Interior to urgently review the reforms, insisting that the current system was not serving its intended purpose and was damaging Nigeria’s image abroad.

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