Relief for thousands as NIS extends UK passport exercise

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has been forced to extend its special passport intervention exercise in the United Kingdom after a wave of complaints over delays, biometric bottlenecks and mounting demand.

The exercise, which was scheduled to end on September 19, will now continue in London and Manchester until October 3, 2026.

The extension was announced by the NIS on Friday following growing frustration among Nigerians who struggled to obtain or renew their passports during the intervention.

The Service said the decision was approved under the directive of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in response to the high turnout and rising number of applicants.

In a statement signed by its national spokesperson, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, the NIS said 1,477 Nigerians had been processed and enrolled within the first four days of the exercise.

More than half of those applicants, it added, had already had their passports produced and dispatched to their addresses.

The NIS said the intervention was progressing despite difficulties recorded on its opening day.

“The Special Passport Intervention Exercise is progressing smoothly at the London and Manchester centres despite the initial challenges experienced on the first day of commencement,” the statement said.

The Service reminded applicants that they must book appointments and attend with the required documents.

It said the extended arrangement was designed to create additional capacity and ensure that more eligible Nigerians were attended to.

“In response to the high turnout and interest shown, the Nigeria Immigration Service, under the directive of the Honourable Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has approved an extension of the exercise in London and Manchester from September 19 to October 3, 2026,” it said.

The passport intervention had attracted significant interest from Nigerians in the UK, many of whom had complained about long delays and difficulties accessing passport services.

The NIS said the extension would allow it to process more applications and ease pressure on the London and Manchester centres.

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