The Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom has reduced its additional charge for the ongoing passport intervention from £70 to £20 following protests and scrutiny over the fee.
The reduction was reflected on the high commission’s website on Wednesday, although applicants were not formally notified of the change.
Chronicle NG had reported that the high commission appeared to have bypassed a memo issued by the late President Muhammadu Buhari during a similar passport intervention under his administration.
The memo directed Nigerian diplomatic missions to charge no more than £20 for making their premises available for the exercise.
However, during Monday’s intervention exercise, the high commission imposed an additional £70 administrative fee, while applicants with lost passports were reportedly charged £150.
The charges prompted concerns among Nigerians in the UK who had booked appointments through the high commission’s portal in an effort to secure quick passport renewals.
At the time of Chronicle NG’s report, the portal still displayed the £70 administrative charge.
Officials familiar with the payments told reporters that fees were collected from about 3,000 applicants, despite the high commission having the capacity to accommodate fewer than 300 people per day.
Passport fee controversy
Although the latest reduction brings the additional charge down to £20, the fee remains the subject of controversy because it conflicts with the separate £20 charge stipulated under the Buhari administration for making diplomatic premises available during such exercises.
Officials involved in the process told Chronicle NG that the high commission demanded the additional payment to facilitate the exercise and “generate revenue”.
However, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said he was concerned about the inconvenience experienced by Nigerians during the passport intervention.
Tunji-Ojo also denied that administrative fees were required, as allegedly demanded by officials, and said consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve the issues.
He said efforts were being made to ensure that the inconveniences surrounding the exercise did not continue.
London biometric exercise suspended
The controversy came as the Nigerian High Commission on Tuesday notified citizens that the biometric capturing exercise had been suspended in London.
Applicants were subsequently directed to alternative centres to continue with their scheduled appointments.
The latest reduction in the intervention fee is expected to ease some of the concerns raised by applicants, although questions remain over the authority for the charges and the handling of payments during the exercise.
