UK passport row: Nigeria High Commission slashes fee to £20

The Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom has cut its administrative fee for the ongoing passport intervention exercise from £70 to £20, following growing protests and scrutiny over the charge.

The reduction took effect on Wednesday, but applicants were reportedly not formally notified, with the revised fee instead appearing on the commission’s website.

The controversy began after the High Commission introduced a £70 administrative charge for applicants participating in the intervention exercise.

The fee drew criticism because an earlier directive under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had limited charges by Nigerian diplomatic missions for making their premises available for such exercises to £20.

TheCable reported that the £70 charge had not been approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while applicants seeking replacement of lost passports were also required to pay £150.

The intervention exercise attracted thousands of Nigerians in the UK who needed urgent passport renewals and had booked appointments through the High Commission’s online portal.

Officials familiar with the exercise told newsmen that fees had been collected from about 3,000 applicants, despite the facility’s capacity to accommodate fewer than 300 people daily.

Although the fee has now been reduced to £20, the newspaper reported that the charge remains the subject of concern because of questions surrounding the earlier directive and the process through which the additional payment was introduced.

Officials involved in the exercise were quoted as saying the High Commission had requested an additional payment to facilitate the intervention and generate revenue.

The development also drew the attention of Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who expressed concern over the difficulties Nigerians were experiencing while trying to renew their passports.

He said he was unaware of any approved administrative fee of the nature allegedly imposed and disclosed that consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve the problems.

The latest development came a day after the Nigerian High Commission in London announced the suspension of biometric capturing for the passport intervention exercise in the city and directed applicants to alternative centres to continue with their appointments.