The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has clarified that Nigerians in the United Kingdom applying for international passports under the ongoing special passport intervention exercise are not required to pay any additional charges beyond the officially approved fees.
The minister, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, on Monday, said the intervention exercise was introduced to provide Nigerians in the UK with additional options for processing their passport applications.
Tunji-Ojo explained that applicants are required to pay $150 for a five-year validity passport and $230 for a 10-year validity passport, excluding applicable bank charges.
He stressed that neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service had introduced any charges outside the approved fees.
The clarification followed concerns over inconveniences reportedly experienced by Nigerians in the UK during the application and processing of their international passports under the intervention exercise.
The minister said consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the challenges and ensure that applicants no longer experience unnecessary difficulties during the process.
According to him, the government remains committed to providing support and efficient services to Nigerians both at home and abroad.
The minister also advised applicants to take advantage of the contactless biometric passport application system, describing it as a seamless option for processing passport applications.
He urged Nigerians in the UK to rely on official channels and approved fees when accessing the special passport intervention service.
