The Federal Government has denied imposing fresh charges on Nigerians in the United Kingdom seeking to obtain international passports through the ongoing special intervention exercise.
The clarification came after applicants raised concerns over delays and the handling of the exercise at some centres, particularly the Passport Intervention Centre in Manchester.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the government was concerned about the complaints and had begun efforts to address the difficulties confronting applicants.
The minister, in a statement on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, said the intervention programme was established to expand access to passport services for Nigerians resident in the UK.
He stressed that applicants were expected to pay only the approved fees, which are $150 for a passport with five-year validity and $230 for a 10-year passport, excluding applicable bank charges.
Tunji-Ojo said there were no additional charges introduced by either the Ministry of Interior or the Nigeria Immigration Service for the exercise.
“It is therefore necessary to clarify that this process does not come with extra costs different from the official fees of $150 and $230 for 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 disclosed that discussions were being held with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve the operational challenges and prevent further inconvenience to applicants.
“Consultations are ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that any inconveniences during this process do not persist any longer,” he said.
Contactless option
As part of efforts to ease pressure on the intervention centres, Tunji-Ojo urged Nigerians in the UK to utilise the contactless biometric passport application system.
He described the system as a seamless alternative that could enable eligible applicants to process their passport applications without necessarily going through the challenges associated with physical centres.
The ministry said the government remained committed to improving passport services and other public services available to Nigerians at home and abroad.
“This government has demonstrated a high level of responsibility to Nigerians at home and abroad, and remains committed to its promises of providing succour to all,” the minister said.
Applicant raises alarm
The clarification followed a complaint by Oluomo of Derby concerning the situation at the Manchester intervention centre.
In a post on X on Monday, Oluomo said applicants who had arrived at the facility early in the morning were still waiting 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,” he said.
He called on the authorities to improve the coordination and communication around the exercise, noting that many applicants had made significant personal and financial sacrifices to attend the centre.
“This is not the way to treat Nigerians who have taken time off work, travelled long distances, and paid for passport services,” he said.
The Federal Government's response seeks to draw a distinction between the approved passport fees and any other costs applicants may have encountered, while consultations continue over the reported operational difficulties at the intervention centres.
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