Nigerian Passport Applicant In UK Laments Contactless App Failure After Paying N588,000

The Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Advocates for Children & Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN), Ebenezer Omejalile, has raised concerns over the cost and technical difficulties Nigerians face while renewing their passports in the United Kingdom.

Omejalile said he paid £230 (about N412,000) for his passport renewal but was later required to pay an additional £78 (about N140,000) for biometric verification through the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) contactless application, as well as another £20 (about N36,000).

He spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television, where he discussed the cost of passport renewal and challenges with the NIS online application platform.

According to him, his difficulties began after he opted for the contactless renewal process and downloaded the NIS application for biometric verification.

Omejalile said the application successfully captured his face and fingerprints and also retrieved information and photographs from his previous passport.

He, however, said the application logged him out after he submitted his biometric information and subsequently informed him that he was not eligible for the contactless process.

“And now my biometrics on the phone, my phone is compliant. And it took all my biometrics on my fingers. And believe me, what happened? It logs out,” he said.

Omejalile questioned why applicants would be allowed to complete the lengthy application and biometric process before being informed that they were ineligible for contactless renewal.

He also questioned why the system could recognise his face, retrieve his previous passport details and successfully capture his fingerprints but still reject his application.

“If this app could capture my face and bring down – it brought up my previous pictures and confirm 100%, why, what’s wrong with my finger, my fingerprint?” he asked.

“If you have it on your database, it’s showing my face. Why is it not capturing my fingerprints?”

He said the application initially indicated that his fingerprint capture was successful before displaying the ineligibility message.

“After it’s captured my fingerprint, it says successful, and I submit. The next thing, it says you’re not eligible,” he said.

Omejalile added that the application did not allow him to return to the previous stage after the notification, forcing him to restart the process through the main immigration portal.

He said the portal subsequently instructed him to apply for physical appearance, despite the biometric process having already been completed.

The ACVPN co-founder said the situation raised concerns about both the cost of passport renewal and the effectiveness of the NIS digital platform.

His complaint comes amid wider concerns among Nigerians in the UK over delays, appointment difficulties and additional charges linked to the special passport intervention exercise being conducted by the NIS in collaboration with the Nigeria High Commission.

Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.