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The Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom (UK) has announced a £50 refund for applicants charged £70 for passport intervention.
The commission announced the refund in a notice published on its website on Friday, following protests over the £70 charge. The refund will reduce the administrative fee for affected applicants to £20, the amount previously approved for similar exercises.
Applicants had initially been charged £70 for the intervention, while those replacing lost passports were reportedly charged £150. The charges prompted controversy after it emerged that the £70 administrative fee had not been approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the £20 administrative fee during an earlier passport intervention exercise.
The development came after the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) clarified that applicants should not pay additional charges to participate in the exercise.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo earlier expressed concern over difficulties Nigerians faced during the exercise and denied that applicants were required to pay separate administrative fees.
NIS Public Relations Officer Akinsola Akinlabi said on Friday that the official passport fees remained $162 for five-year booklets and $242 for 10-year booklets.
Akinlabi said the exercise was progressing smoothly at the London and Manchester centres despite challenges recorded on its first day. He urged eligible Nigerians to book appointments through the Nigerian High Commission’s website, stressing that “no additional charges are required” to participate.
According to him, 1,477 Nigerians had been successfully processed and enrolled within the first four days of the exercise.
“Over half of those enrolled have already had their passports produced and dispatched to their respective addresses,” he said.
Akinlabi also said Tunji-Ojo approved an extension of the exercise in London and Manchester from September 19 to October 3.
He said further details on the extended dates, participating locations and appointment procedures would be announced through the official NIS and Nigerian High Commission channels.
