The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has expressed concern over the inconvenience faced by Nigerians in the United Kingdom in applying for and processing international passports.
Tunji-Ojo said the ongoing special passport intervention was introduced to provide Nigerians in the UK with more options for processing their passport applications.
In a statement by his Media Adviser, Alao Babatunde, the minister clarified that the intervention did not attract additional charges beyond the approved fees.
“It is therefore necessary to clarify that this process does not come with extra cost different from the official fees of $150 and $230 for five-year and ten-year validity passports respectively, exclusive of bank charges,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo stressed that neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service had introduced any additional charges outside the approved fees.
He added that consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the challenges and ensure that the inconveniences experienced by applicants were resolved.
“This government has demonstrated a high level of responsibility to Nigerians at home and abroad, and remains committed to its promises of providing succour to all,” the minister said.
He advised applicants to take advantage of the contactless biometric passport application system, which he described as a seamless option for processing their applications.