There are news reports that the Nigeria High Commission Charged Citizens £150 for UK Passport Intervention Despite NIS Free Service. Nigerians seeking passport services in the United Kingdom were reportedly charged additional administrative fees by the Nigeria High Commission in London during a special passport intervention exercise organised in collaboration with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

According to an investigation by TheCable, the High Commission imposed an additional £150 administrative charge for lost passports, while applicants were also reportedly asked to pay a separate £70 administrative fee for the intervention.

The development has raised questions because the NIS, which is responsible for conducting the passport intervention exercise, had not announced such additional charges. While on this matter, Nigerians Face Chaos at UK Passport Intervention Centre as Applicants Are Left Stranded at Manchester because only one machine is available, shortage of staff and no security.

Passport intervention was launched to clear backlogs

The special passport intervention exercise was introduced to help Nigerians in the UK resolve passport-related backlogs, including new applications, renewals and pending cases. The exercise began in September 2026 across several UK locations, including Manchester and London.

However, the rollout was reportedly affected by delays and confusion, with videos circulating online showing groups of Nigerian applicants waiting at intervention centres without being attended to. The NIS later said a brief technical problem had caused some of the disruption and that the issue was resolved.

The Service said 230 applicants with confirmed appointments were eventually processed, including 140 people in Manchester and 90 in London.

TheCable reports additional £70 administrative fee

TheCable reported that applicants were allegedly required to pay an additional £70 administrative fee, separate from the official NIS passport charges. According to the investigation, the additional payment was presented as an administrative charge associated with the passport intervention.

The report said officials familiar with the process told TheCable that the High Commission imposed the additional charge to facilitate the intervention exercise.

TheCable further reported that the High Commission collected payments from thousands of applicants, despite the intervention centres having limited daily capacity.

£150 charge reportedly applied to lost passports

The investigation also focused on a £150 charge for lost passports. The High Commission’s own website currently lists a £150 postal order for lost, misplaced or damaged passports, payable to the Nigeria High Commission or through its electronic payment system.

This is important because the £150 charge should not automatically be interpreted as the same thing as the alleged £70 intervention administrative fee.

The High Nigeria Commission’s published requirements distinguish the £150 payment for lost, misplaced or damaged passports from a £20 postal order required for applicants attending the special intervention exercise.

High Commission’s website lists £20 intervention payment

The Nigeria High Commission’s current notice for the September 2026 special passport intervention exercise instructs applicants to bring a £20 postal order payable to the Nigeria High Commission, or make payment through its e-payment system.

The same notice states that applicants with lost, misplaced or damaged passports should provide a £150 postal order payable to the High Commission or pay through the electronic payment system.

The notice also requires applicants to bring their passport application form, payment receipt, appointment slip and old passport booklet where applicable. A prepaid Royal Mail C4 special-delivery self-addressed envelope is also required for the return of processed passports.

Report raises questions over authority for additional charges

TheCable reported that the additional administrative charge was imposed without approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citing information from officials familiar with the matter.

The report also linked the dispute to an earlier directive issued during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which reportedly instructed Nigerian diplomatic missions not to charge more than £20 for making their premises available for passport intervention exercises.

TheCable reported that the High Commission allegedly bypassed that arrangement when the UK intervention was organised.

These claims have not been independently established by a published government investigation, and the High Commission’s position on the specific allegations remains important to the full picture.

Interior Minister denies extra passport intervention charges

The controversy prompted a response from Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, whose ministry oversees the Nigeria Immigration Service. Tunji-Ojo expressed concern about the difficulties experienced by Nigerians during the intervention exercise.

According to a statement issued by his media aide, the minister denied that the Federal Government had imposed an administrative fee for the special passport intervention. He also said consultations were taking place with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the problems surrounding the exercise.

The minister’s position is significant because the NIS was the agency conducting the passport intervention, while the Nigeria High Commission was providing diplomatic and consular support in the UK.

London biometric exercise suspended

Amid the controversy and operational difficulties, the Nigeria High Commission later informed Nigerians that the biometric capturing exercise in London had been suspended.

Applicants were directed to alternative centres to continue processing their appointments.

The development followed earlier reports of congestion and disruption at intervention locations. (TheCable)

The NIS, meanwhile, said it had resolved what it described as a brief technical downtime that had affected the exercise.

High Commission had announced the intervention in advance

The Nigeria High Commission’s official website announced that the special passport intervention would be conducted jointly with the NIS in several UK cities.

The published schedule included:

• Manchester: September 7–21, 2026
• London: September 7–October 3, 2026
• Cardiff: September 21–26, 2026
• Aberdeen: September 21–26, 2026

The Nigeria High Commission London said the exercise was intended for members of the Nigerian community in the UK.

Applicants caught between two sets of information

The controversy has left applicants navigating information from different government institutions. On one side, the High Commission’s published intervention notice contains specific payments, including the £20 administrative payment and £150 payment for lost, misplaced or damaged passports.

On the other, the Interior Minister publicly denied that applicants should be subjected to additional administrative charges for the intervention. This difference has created uncertainty for Nigerians who had already booked appointments or travelled to intervention centres.

NIS says 230 applicants were processed

Despite the disruption, the NIS said the intervention did not completely break down. The Service reported that 230 people with confirmed appointments had their biometrics captured, comprising 140 applicants in Manchester and 90 in London.

The agency said the process continued after the technical problem was resolved. The figure also illustrates the scale of the challenge, given the large number of Nigerians seeking passport services through the intervention.

Why the controversy matters

The dispute comes at a time when many Nigerians living abroad depend on diplomatic missions and immigration authorities for essential identity and travel documents.

Passport renewal is particularly important for Nigerians whose passports are expiring, have been lost or damaged, or whose applications have remained unresolved.

The controversy over additional charges therefore goes beyond the amount paid by individual applicants. It raises broader questions about transparency, responsibility and coordination between the NIS, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad.

For applicants, the immediate concern is knowing exactly which payments are officially authorised and which agency is responsible for collecting them.

What happens next

The Interior Ministry said consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were underway following complaints about the intervention. The High Commission has also continued to publish information about the exercise through its official website.

The NIS has maintained that its technical difficulties were resolved and that applicants with confirmed appointments were being processed.

Further clarification from the Nigerian government would be important, particularly on whether the disputed administrative charges were formally authorised, who collected the payments and whether affected applicants will receive refunds where applicable.

The bigger issue for Nigerians in the UK

The UK intervention was created to reduce passport backlogs and make access to immigration services easier for Nigerians living outside the country.

Instead, the early problems have generated complaints about delays, additional charges and communication.

The government’s denial of extra intervention fees now places greater importance on a clear explanation of the payments listed by the High Commission and the responsibilities of each institution involved.

For Nigerians affected by the exercise, the outcome of the ongoing consultations between the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could determine whether the disputed charges are maintained, withdrawn or refunded.