Nigeria High Commission in the United Kingdom has reduced its fee for the ongoing passport intervention exercise from £70 to £20 following protests and scrutiny over the additional charge imposed on applicants.
The fee was reduced on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the new amount displayed on the High Commission’s website, although applicants were not separately notified of the change.
The reduction followed reports that the High Commission had imposed an additional £70 administrative charge during the passport intervention exercise, which began on Monday.
The exercise reportedly attracted criticism because of a previous directive issued under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the report, a memo issued during the Buhari administration directed Nigerian diplomatic missions not to charge more than £20 for making their premises available for similar passport intervention exercises.
The High Commission was, however, reported to have imposed the £70 administrative fee without approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while applicants seeking replacement of lost passports were charged £150.
Nigerians seeking faster passport renewals had booked appointments through the High Commission’s portal, which displayed the applicable charges at the time of application.
Officials familiar with the payments said fees were collected from about 3,000 applicants, despite the High Commission having the capacity to accommodate fewer than 300 people daily.
The newly reduced £20 passport intervention fee also remains separate from the £20 administrative charge stipulated under the earlier directive issued during the Buhari administration.
Officials involved in the exercise reportedly alleged that the High Commission had sought the additional payment to facilitate the process in order to “generate revenue”.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had earlier expressed concern over the difficulties experienced by Nigerians during the passport intervention exercise.
Tunji-Ojo also denied that the administrative fees allegedly demanded by officials were required, saying consultations were underway with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the challenges and prevent their recurrence.
The development followed protests by Nigerians over the charges and difficulties encountered during the passport intervention programme.
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the High Commission announced that biometric capturing in London had been suspended.
Applicants were subsequently directed to alternative centres to continue with their scheduled appointments.
