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 charges beyond the officially approved fees.

The clarification followed concerns over inconveniences reportedly experienced by Nigerians in the UK during the application and processing of their international passports.

The special intervention exercise was introduced to provide additional options for Nigerians in the United Kingdom seeking to process their passport applications.

In a statement, the minister explained that applicants are required to pay only the official passport fees of $150 for a five-year validity passport and $230 for a 10-year validity passport, excluding applicable bank charges.

Tunji-Ojo stressed that neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) had introduced any additional charges outside the approved fees.

“Neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service has introduced any other charges outside the aforementioned,” the minister stated.

He also disclosed that consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the challenges being experienced by applicants and ensure that the inconveniences associated with the process are resolved promptly.

According to the minister, the Federal Government remains committed to providing effective and accessible services to Nigerians both at home and abroad.

The ministry further advised passport applicants in the UK to take advantage of the contactless biometric passport application system, which is designed to make the application process more seamless and convenient.

The clarification is expected to address concerns among Nigerians in the UK regarding possible additional fees associated with the special passport intervention exercise.