The Federal Government has moved to tackle mounting passport application challenges confronting Nigerians in the United Kingdom, deploying a special intervention team of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to clear pending applications and accelerate fresh passport enrolments.
The intervention, ordered by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, will see a dedicated team from the NIS Headquarters, Abuja, arrive in the UK on Monday, August 10, 2026, to commence a nationwide passport intervention exercise.
This development was announced by the NIS Headquarters, Abuja, on August 9, 2026, urging Nigerians in the UK to await the official schedule and make use of the designated channels for accurate information.
The team, acting in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom, will move across designated cities to conduct passport enrolment and processing, bringing the service closer to Nigerians who have been unable to complete their applications or obtain their travel documents.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, is coordinating the deployment as part of efforts to strengthen passport service delivery and address outstanding applications among Nigerians in the diaspora.
Under the intervention, Nigerians with pending passport applications will be eligible to participate alongside first-time applicants and existing passport holders whose documents have less than one year before expiry and are due for renewal.
Applicants have been directed to appear for enrolment with their completed passport application forms and proof of payment.
The NIS, however, warned applicants against rushing to any location ahead of the official schedule, stressing that the cities, dates, venues, enrolment times and other operational details would be announced separately.
It urged Nigerians in the UK to rely only on official communication channels of the Nigerian High Commission for information concerning the exercise.
The intervention is expected to ease the burden on applicants who have had to travel long distances to access passport services, while also providing an opportunity for the Immigration Service to process a large number of outstanding applications within a coordinated period.
The NIS also clarified that the special physical intervention would not disrupt its existing digital passport services.
According to the Service, all digital passport application channels remain fully operational throughout the exercise, including the Contactless Passport Application System.
The home delivery service will equally remain available to applicants, giving Nigerians the option of receiving their passports at their preferred addresses after processing.
The Service said the intervention formed part of its broader commitment to improving the efficiency, transparency and responsiveness of passport services for Nigerians at home and abroad.
For enquiries and complaints relating to the exercise, applicants can contact the NIS through passport.london@immigration.gov.ng or the WhatsApp-only line +234 916 087 8000.
