Nigerians living in the United Kingdom will have access to special passport services in four cities this September as the Nigeria Immigration Service moves to bring processing closer to applicants.
The temporary intervention will cover London, Manchester, Aberdeen and Cardiff between 7 and 26 September 2026.
It is aimed at Nigerians seeking new passports, renewing existing ones or trying to resolve pending passport applications.
The NIS said a Passport Intervention Team has been deployed from its headquarters in Abuja following a directive from Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. The arrangements were made after consultations with the Nigerian High Commission and representatives of Nigerian communities in the UK.
London and Manchester come first
The first stage of the exercise will run in London and Manchester from 7 to 19 September 2026.
In London, services will be provided at Layali Lounge, Trent Park, Bramley Road, London N14 4UW.
The Manchester exercise will take place at Nigerian House, 23 Platt Lane, Manchester M14 5NE.
The intervention will then move to Scotland and Wales.
Applicants in Aberdeen can attend the Hilton Convention Centre, 13 Smithfield Road, Aberdeen AB24 4NR, from 21 to 26 September.
During the same period, services will be available in Cardiff at Sophia Gardens, Sophia Walk, Cardiff CF11 9XR.
The NIS said eligible Nigerians in the four cities and surrounding areas can use the exercise.
Applicants must apply and pay online first
The intervention is not a walk-in system where applicants can arrive and begin a passport application from scratch.
Anyone planning to attend must first complete the required application and make payment through the official NIS Passport Application Portal.
Applicants are expected to take their completed application form, payment slip, appointment slip and a self-addressed return envelope to their chosen venue.
People applying for a passport renewal must also bring their current Nigerian passport.
The NIS has specifically warned applicants not to arrive with cash. It said people who come to the intervention centres expecting to make cash payments will not be attended to.
Applicants should therefore complete the online process and prepare the required documents before travelling to any of the four venues.
Existing online passport services will continue
The temporary exercise does not replace the NIS’s existing digital passport services.
According to the Service, its online application channels, including the Contactless Passport Application System, will continue to operate during the intervention.
Home delivery services also remain available.
This distinction is important because Nigerians do not necessarily have to wait for the intervention team if their passport needs can already be handled through the existing digital system.
The four-city exercise instead provides another route for eligible applicants, including people dealing with unresolved applications.
For further assistance, the NIS has provided passport.london@immigration.gov.ng for email enquiries and +234 916 087 8000 for WhatsApp enquiries.
Why the four-city approach matters
London has traditionally been the main point of contact for many Nigerian consular services in the UK. For Nigerians living elsewhere, travelling to the capital can add significant time and transport costs to an already important administrative process.
Taking services to Manchester, Aberdeen and Cardiff gives Nigerians in other parts of England, Scotland and Wales an opportunity to access the intervention closer to where they live.
The exercise is temporary, however. The announcement does not mean that Nigeria is opening permanent passport offices in all four cities.
Applicants should also rely on official NIS information if schedules or arrangements change before their planned visit.
Trivane View: Bringing services closer to the diaspora
For Nigerians abroad, a passport is more than a travel document. Delays can affect travel, identification and other important personal arrangements.
Taking passport services beyond London is therefore a practical step, especially for Nigerians living farther north and in Scotland and Wales.
The bigger test will be whether the intervention clears pending cases efficiently and whether improvements to digital services can reduce the need for similar emergency exercises in future.
A modern diaspora passport system should ultimately make routine applications predictable and accessible regardless of where Nigerians live in the UK.
Source: Nigeria Immigration Service passport intervention announcement as reported by Channels Television
Facts first. Not frenzy.
