NIS enrols 8,552 Nigerians in diaspora passport intervention exercises

By Zainab Uzomah| Abuja

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says 8,552 Nigerians have so far benefited from its passport intervention exercises in the United States, Canada, Qatar and the United Kingdom.

According to a statement signed by the Service Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters, Abuja, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, the intervention exercises were conducted to improve passport service delivery to Nigerians in the diaspora, following the directive of the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

The statement said the exercises were designed to bring passport services closer to Nigerians in various cities and were carried out in collaboration with Nigerian diplomatic missions and representatives of Nigerian communities in the affected countries. It said 535 Nigerians were enrolled in Chicago, Michigan and Milwaukee in the United States between September 7 and 15, 2026.In Canada, 2,257 applicants were enrolled across Manitoba, Toronto, Saskatoon, Alberta and New Brunswick between September 6 and 19.

He added that 751 Nigerians were enrolled in Qatar between August 9 and 24, while 5,099 applicants have so far been enrolled in London and Manchester in the United Kingdom, where the exercise is still ongoing.According to the NIS, passport production and dispatch are being carried out concurrently with the ongoing intervention exercise in the UK.

The minister therefore advised applicants who could not secure appointment slots, as well as those who prefer not to visit the passport centres or the High Commission physically, to use the Contactless Passport Application System.

NISThe NIS reaffirmed its commitment to providing responsive, accessible, timely and convenient passport services to Nigerians living abroad.