The Nigeria High Commission in the United Kingdom has announced plans to refund £50 to applicants who paid a £70 administrative fee for the ongoing passport intervention exercise.
The refund will bring the administrative charge down to the standard £20 fee.
The commission announced the decision in a notice published on its website on Friday, following protests and scrutiny over the additional charge.
The fee for the intervention exercise was initially set at £20 during a similar exercise under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, the high commission had charged applicants £70, despite the fee reportedly not being approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A separate £150 charge was also imposed for lost passports.
Officials involved in the exercise told TheCable that the commission demanded the additional payment to facilitate the process and “generate revenue”.
The development triggered concerns among Nigerians in the UK, prompting calls for clarification over the charges.
No additional charges required
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, said he was concerned about the challenges surrounding the passport intervention exercise and denied that applicants were required to pay separate administrative fees.
In a statement issued on Friday, Akinsola Akinlabi, spokesperson for the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), said the applicable passport fees remain $162 for a five-year validity booklet and $242 for a 10-year validity booklet.
Akinlabi said the intervention exercise was progressing smoothly at the London and Manchester centres despite challenges experienced on its first day.
He urged eligible Nigerians to book appointments through the Nigeria High Commission’s official website and reiterated that “no additional charges are required to participate in the intervention exercise”.
1,477 Nigerians processed
According to the NIS spokesperson, 1,477 Nigerians were successfully processed and enrolled within the first four days of the intervention exercise.
“Over half of those enrolled have already had their passports produced and dispatched to their respective addresses,” he said.
The intervention exercise, which was initially scheduled to end on September 19, has also been extended to October 3.
Akinlabi said the extension was approved by Tunji-Ojo in response to the high turnout and interest from Nigerians.
He added that further details on the extended dates, participating locations and appointment procedures would be communicated through the official channels of the NIS and Nigeria High Commission.
