A United States-based Nigerian, Sage Vincent Ike, has alleged that he spent more than ₦1 million to renew his Nigerian passport after a four-month process plagued by delays, multiple payments and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
In a series of posts on X, Ike claimed the delays disrupted his travel plans and forced him to make repeated payments both in the United States and Nigeria.
He said he paid $280 for a 10-year passport and a change of data at the Nigerian Consulate in Atlanta but waited months without receiving the document despite completing his biometric capture.
According to him, repeated attempts to get updates from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Ministry of Interior yielded no result.
Frustrated by the delay, Ike said he initiated another passport application in Nigeria, spending about ₦460,000 on processing and change-of-data approvals.
He further alleged that after the passport was eventually produced, a family representative was asked to pay $150 before it could be released for collection. He also spent $176.35 on DHL delivery, alongside additional travel and accommodation costs.
Describing the experience as emotionally and financially draining, Ike said many Nigerians in the diaspora continue to face difficulties despite assurances that the passport system has been reformed.
Reacting to the allegations, the Nigeria Immigration Service apologised for the inconvenience and emotional distress experienced by Ike.
The Service explained that duplicate passport applications are subject to additional verification to protect the integrity of the passport issuance process.
It also described the alleged $150 collection fee as illegal, warning applicants against dealing with touts or unauthorised third parties.
According to the NIS, a duly signed authorisation letter is sufficient for a representative to collect a passport on behalf of an applicant.
The agency added that it had reached out to Ike privately to provide further assistance and resolve the matter.
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