By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has enrolled 2,296 Nigerians in the United Kingdom within the first six operational days of its Special Passport Intervention Exercise.
The applicants were processed at the intervention centres in London and Manchester following the commencement of the exercise on September 7, 2026.
This was contained in a statement issued by the NIS Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, in Abuja, titled, “United Kingdom Special Passport Intervention Exercise: Week One Review.”
According to the Service, 1,709 applicants were enrolled at the Manchester Centre, while 587 were processed in London between September 7 and 12.
The NIS said the exercise had recorded sustained turnout and steady processing of applicants with confirmed appointments across both centres.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, also visited the two intervention centres in Manchester and London as part of efforts to monitor the exercise and assess the quality of service being delivered.
The Service said Nandap’s visit was aimed at reviewing the intervention, engaging with members of the Nigerian community and ensuring that applicants received efficient and seamless passport services.
The NIS said passport production and dispatch had commenced for applicants who had completed enrolment, adding that the process was progressing steadily.
It urged Nigerians with confirmed intervention appointments to continue cooperating with officials at the centres to facilitate the smooth delivery of the exercise.
The intervention comes amid concerns over passport-related charges in the UK after the Nigerian High Commission in London clarified that a £70 administrative fee paid by some applicants was not approved by the Federal Government.
The mission subsequently announced that applicants who had paid the £70 fee would receive a £50 refund, with £20 retained as the standard administrative charge.
Separately, the NIS has continued to promote its Contactless Passport Application System, which enables eligible Nigerians in the diaspora to renew their passports without physically visiting an embassy or high commission for biometric enrolment.
The system allows eligible applicants to complete passport renewal, biometric enrolment and application tracking remotely, subject to the stated eligibility requirements.
The Service has urged Nigerians to use only its official channels when applying for passport services.
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