Nigerians In UK Burst Tunji-Ojo’s Lies On Improvement In Passport Issuance
Nigerians living in the United Kingdom have debunked recent claims by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, that the country’s passport issuance system has significantly improved, describing their experiences at the Nigerian Embassy in London as “frustrating and chaotic.”
Speaking during an episode of the 90sBabyShow podcast, some Nigerians narrated their ordeals while trying to renew or obtain Nigerian passports.
They revealed how poor service delivery, technical glitches, and endless bureaucracy continue to plague the process despite government assurances.
One of the speakers recounted his ordeal, saying:
“The Nigerian embassy needs to crumble. I went to renew my UK passport, and they asked if I was a dual citizen. I said yes because I thought I had already told them before. Then they said the names on my Nigerian and UK passports don’t match. My Nigerian passport only has my first and last name, while my UK passport has my full name. They told me to get a letter from the Nigerian embassy to change my registered name before I could be issued a new one.”
He added that the entire process has been unnecessarily stressful and time-consuming.
“My dad’s been telling me to go to the embassy and sort my passport, but the last time I went there, I spent the whole day without getting anything done. It takes ages to even book an appointment. When my dad tried, they told him the next available date was February next year — and that’s just for an appointment, not the passport itself,” he lamented.
The speaker also criticized the introduction of the National Identity Number (NIN) requirement for passport renewal, describing it as another bureaucratic hurdle that slows down the process.
“Now, you can’t get a passport without an NIN. But when I tried to get it, they said the NIN system was down. One time it was down for three months before coming back. It’s madness. This country is finished, we need a new one,” he said.
Their testimonies sharply contrast with Minister Tunji-Ojo’s repeated claims that Nigeria’s passport processing system has been reformed to eliminate bottlenecks and reduce waiting time for applicants both at home and abroad.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
