Nigerians in UK laud passport reform, contactless renewal

Nigerians in the United Kingdom have praised the Federal Government’s passport reforms, describing the contactless renewal system as a breakthrough that has eliminated long delays, reduced travel burdens, and accelerated passport delivery.

The new system, first rolled out in November 2024, allows eligible Nigerians to renew expired or exhausted passports from home, eliminating the need for physical visits.

According to a report by the Ministry of Interior, which contained testimonies from Nigerians in the UK and was made available to The PidomNigeria on Monday, respondents from different cities across the UK described the initiative as a major departure from what they called years of frustrating delays, long-distance travel, and bureaucratic bottlenecks that once defined the passport renewal process abroad.

A Nigerian community figure based in Birmingham, Timileyin Gbenga, said he experienced both systems firsthand, and the contrast was stark.

He said, “I was applying for my passport through the normal process. From the time I applied online to the time I got my passport, it took me more than six months.

“I had to travel from Birmingham to London to the Nigerian High Commission for biometrics. But when I used the contactless process for a family member, it took less than two weeks from the day we applied to the day the passport was delivered.”

Gbenga attributed the transformation to the leadership of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“That is the change we are all looking for. That is the change we all desire as Nigerians. We need to appreciate the initiative; we need to appreciate changes,” he said.

Similarly, a Coventry-based Nigerian, Gbenga Ogunderu, described the experience as emblematic of a broader digital shift.

“Back then, a couple of years before this government, we were experiencing a very funny process – analogue backwardness. But now we are experiencing something very remarkable. You can be in the comfort of your home, make applications and get it at your doorstep without stress.

“Within just two weeks, I had my passport. That is what technology does. That is what innovation does,” he said.

Ogunderu called the development a sign that Nigeria was beginning to compete with more technologically advanced nations.

“This is 2026. We should be doing this, not the other way around,” he added.

A senior lecturer in artificial intelligence and data analytics at Coventry University, who doubles as the president of Nigerians living in the city of Coventry, Dr Adekunle Shonola, said the change represented a measurable leap in efficiency.

“I could remember in those days, we used to travel all the way from Coventry to London just to capture biometrics, then go back again just to get a passport.

“It took more than six months. But nowadays, I’ve seen members of our community get their passports within one week,” the senior lecturer said.

Shonola, who holds dual Nigerian and British citizenship, noted that the ease with which he once obtained his British passport digitally was now mirrored in the Nigerian system.

“The Nigerian government, in terms of obtaining passports, has been able to level up with the UK and the Western world in that regard. This is a very welcome development,” he said.

Shonola similarly called for uniform rollout, including in Nigeria itself, where network infrastructure remains a challenge.

He said, “If they can collaborate with other departments in charge of networking and make sure the system and database integrate and work very well, that would be helpful.

“It should be uniform – not only for Nigerians in the UK but also for everyone obtaining a Nigerian passport, regardless of where they are.”

An automation engineer with Royal Mail and a management staff member of the Nigerian community in Coventry, Rufus Idowu, said some members had received their passports in as little as five days.

“We’ve had some of our members who collected their passports within five days. They processed everything in their room, and it came through to them. The Interior Ministry, under the leadership of Dr Tunji-Ojo, is doing very well,” he said.

Idowu, meanwhile, stressed that sustaining the momentum would be decisive.

“The Western world that we see today is moving faster — there is nothing more than sustainability. If they can sustain it, we will soon get to our promised land. If we start a good thing, we shouldn’t be distracted. We should just face where we are going,” he said.

Ahmed Oyelade, also based in Coventry, said reports from siblings, colleagues, and friends confirmed a broad improvement in the experience.

“What they have been saying is that there is a large improvement in the system. Now they can stay in their various homes to make an application for their renewal, and within two to three weeks, they will get their passport renewed without going through the previous stress,” he said.

Oyelade added that the shift represented more than administrative convenience.

“The Minister of Interior is not just there again for announcing public holidays — we have now seen the reforms working. This has increased our confidence in them,” he said.