The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has clarified that Nigerians in the United Kingdom applying for international passports under the ongoing special intervention exercise are not required to pay any additional charges beyond the officially approved fees.
The clarification followed concerns over the inconvenience experienced by some Nigerians in the UK during the application and processing of their passports.
The special intervention exercise was introduced to provide Nigerians in the UK with more options for processing their passport applications and ease access to passport services.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, the approved fees remain $150 for a five-year validity passport and $230 for a 10-year validity passport, excluding bank charges.
Babatunde said neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service had introduced any additional charges for the exercise.
“Neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service has introduced any other charges outside the aforementioned,” the statement said.
The minister, however, said consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the challenges being experienced by applicants and ensure that the inconveniences associated with the process do not persist.
Tunji-Ojo also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving services for Nigerians at home and abroad, saying the administration remained committed to providing succour to citizens.
He urged applicants to take advantage of the contactless biometric passport application system, which is intended to make the application process more convenient and seamless.
