Some Nigerians have trooped to social media to register their grievances over the poor processing of their passports by the Nigerian High Commission in London, the United Kingdom.
Nigerians in the UK have expressed their dissatisfaction with the activities of the embassy concerning passport processing and other related matters.
One of the issues discussed by Nigerians was the embassy’s refusal to respond to calls or replying to messages.
Also, there have been delays in the processing of passports while dates for biometric capturing and renewal are prolonged.
“Some people who are about to renew their passports have to wait till January 2027 for biometrics.
“The newly introduced app has a lot of glitches for people. Some people pay via the website and suffer a glitch and can’t process refunds,” a Nigerian living in London spoke on the condition of anonymity
A Nigerian social entrepreneur in the UK, Akintayo Emmanuel, narrated to Diaspora Tales, on Tuesday, about how he called the official lines of the embassy in London without receiving any response.
“I also had my own share of experience but not a passport issue. I needed to contact the embassy for something important, but I called but no one picked the call. They were never reachable,” Emmanuel lamented.
Another disgruntled Nigerian said, “The last time I went to that embassy, Nigerians were lined up outside in the freezing cold and treated like refugees fleeing a warzone.
“For far too long, there has been no reliable way to contact the Nigerian High Commission to make enquiries about passport applications. Phone calls go unanswered, and emails often receive no response.”
Reacting to the issue on X during the week, a former leader of the Nigerian community in the UK, Benjamin Kuti, also expressed disappointment over the issue.
“How can an embassy operate without a reliable telephone number or even respond to official emails sent by members of the public?
“People make the effort to come down to the embassy, only to be refused entry without clear communication or guidance.
“Simply having a functional phone line and responsive communication channels will make a huge difference and ease the process for so many people. This situation is unfair, and it needs to be addressed and improved urgently,” Kuti added.
By: Biodun Busari
