In an effort to allay concerns regarding passport fees for Nigerians living in the UK, the Federal Government has stated that applicants under the ongoing special intervention exercise will not be required to pay any additional fees.
Alao Babatunde, the Minister of Interior’s Special Advisor on Media and Publicity, provided the clarification in a statement on behalf of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
According to the government, the intervention was implemented to give Nigerians living in the UK more chances to obtain international passports without incurring any extra fees.
The statement claims that, excluding bank fees, applicants only need to pay the authorized fees of $150 for a five-year passport and $230 for a ten-year passport.
“The intervention was introduced to provide Nigerians in the UK with more opportunities to process their passport applications, and no new fees have been added to the exercise,” the statement said.
It further stated that neither the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) nor the Ministry of Interior had added any fees beyond the authorized passport fees.
The minister also acknowledged that some Nigerians living in the UK had complained about the challenges they faced when applying for and processing passports.
According to the statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior were collaborating to resolve the issues and enhance the exercise.
The Federal Government reiterated its dedication to enhancing Nigerians’ passport services both domestically and internationally.
If the government has not imposed these extra charges, then it is essential to identify who is responsible for this collection. The authorities should conduct a thorough investigation to determine the source of these fees and ensure that Nigerians are not being unfairly exploited or overcharged. Transparency and accountability are crucial in resolving this issue and protecting the rights of Nigerian citizens abroad.
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