By Odita Sunday
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has extended its ongoing Special Passport Intervention Exercise in the United Kingdom by two weeks following a high turnout of Nigerians seeking to benefit from the initiative.
The Service Public Relations Officer, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, said the exercise, which is being conducted at centres in London and Manchester, had progressed smoothly despite initial challenges experienced on the first day.
Akinlabi said a total of 1,477 Nigerians had been successfully processed and enrolled within the first four days of the exercise, adding that more than half of those enrolled had already had their passports produced and dispatched to their respective addresses.
He said the extension was approved by the Nigeria Immigration Service under the directive of the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to accommodate the increasing demand and enable more eligible applicants to access the service.
According to him, the exercise in London and Manchester has now been extended from September 19 to October 3, 2026.
Akinlabi said eligible applicants wishing to participate in the special intervention exercise were required to book appointments through the website of the High Commission of Nigeria in the United Kingdom.
He listed the documents applicants were expected to present at their scheduled appointments as a completed application form and payment receipt, appointment slip for the intervention exercise, current passport where applicable, and a self-addressed return envelope.
The NIS spokesman reiterated that the passport application and payment processes remained fully automated and strictly cashless.
He said the applicable fees were $162 for a five-year validity passport booklet and $242 for a 10-year validity booklet, stressing that no additional charges were required to participate in the intervention exercise.
Akinlabi said further information on the extended dates, participating locations and appointment procedures would be communicated through the official channels of the Nigeria Immigration Service and the High Commission of Nigeria in the United Kingdom.
He said the Service appreciated the patience and cooperation of Nigerians in the UK, assuring them that the NIS remained committed to providing efficient, transparent and responsive passport services to Nigerians at home and in the diaspora.
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