The Nigerian government's efforts to improve passport issuance have yielded significant results, particularly in the UK. The Minister of Interior, Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, led the Renewed Hope administration's initiative to ease passport pains for Nigerians living in the UK. This exercise aimed to bring passport services closer to Nigerians, facilitate new applications and renewals, address pending cases, and reduce costs and logistical challenges.
The UK passport intervention exercise experienced technical difficulties on its opening day at the Manchester Centre, causing delays and criticism. However, the situation improved, and within the first six operational days, 2,296 applicants were successfully enrolled — 1,709 in Manchester and 587 in London. The exercise was extended from September 19 to October 3, 2026, to give more Nigerians additional time to access the service.
A total of 482 applicants were enrolled across the London and Manchester Intervention Centres, with 347 in Manchester and 135 in London. This brought the total enrolment since the beginning of the exercise to 3,190. Moreover, passport production and dispatch for previously enrolled applicants continued without hindrance.
The Ministry of Interior, under the leadership of Tunji-Ojo, has implemented several reforms to improve Nigeria's passport system. These reforms include clearing over 200,000 inherited passport application backlogs, automating online applications, and introducing contactless passport renewal for Nigerians in the diaspora.
By July 2025, the government reported that over 3.5 million passports had been issued since August 2023. Enhanced e-passport centres increased from 26 to 44 in Nigeria and from 5 to 47 overseas. A centralized passport personalization centre was also introduced in 2025, raising production capacity from roughly 300 to 4,500–5,000 passports per day.
The Nigerian government has also strengthened international verification of its e-passports by completing the integration of its certificate authorities into the ICAO Public Key Directory. This facilitates verification at participating international border-control systems. The Ministry of Interior will continue to partner with other ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure that Nigerians receive value for their money.
The UK intervention exercise builds on previous successes in Nigeria. The Renewed Hope leadership, under President Bola Tinubu's guidance, aims to sustain improvements in passport issuance. The minister's efforts have yielded optimism and hope for Nigerians, who have come to expect excellence in public administration.
Key points
- A total of 3,190 applicants have been enrolled in the UK passport intervention exercise.
- The exercise was extended from September 19 to October 3, 2026, to accommodate more applicants.
- Over 3.5 million passports have been issued since August 2023 under the Renewed Hope administration.
