Nigeria Immigration Service extends UK passport intervention exercise to November 27

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has further extended its Special Passport Intervention Exercise in the United Kingdom until November 27, 2026, following sustained demand from Nigerians seeking passport services.

The NIS announced the extension in a public notice dated October 27, 2026, signed by its Service Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration Akinisola Akinlabi.

The extension, approved in line with the directive of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, comes as the current phase of the exercise is scheduled to end on October 30, following an earlier extension from October 3.

NIS announces new UK passport dates

The NIS said the extended phase would run from Tuesday, November 3, to Friday, November 27, at designated centres in London and Manchester, while services in Aberdeen and Cardiff would run from November 3 to November 6.

In announcing the extension, the service stated:

• “The Nigeria Immigration Service wishes to inform Nigerians in the United Kingdom that, in line with the directive of the Honourable Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the ongoing Special Passport Intervention Exercise has been further extended.”

The designated centres and dates are as follows:

• London: 56–57 Fleet Street, Temple, London EC4Y 1JU — November 3 to 27.
• Manchester: Nigerian House, 23 Platt Lane, Manchester M14 5NE — November 3 to 27.
• Aberdeen: Hilton Convention Centre, 13 Smithfield Road, Aberdeen AB24 4NR — November 3 to 6.
• Cardiff: Western Leisure Centre, Ely, Cardiff CF5 5HJ — November 3 to 6.

Applicants are required to book appointments through the passport intervention booking portal or the Nigeria High Commission’s website and adhere strictly to their scheduled dates and times.

The NIS said only applicants with prior intervention bookings would be attended to, while cash payments would not be accepted at the venues.

• Applicants must present a completed application form, payment slips, an intervention appointment printout and a self-addressed return envelope. Those seeking renewals must also provide their current passports.
• For enquiries, applicants can email [email protected] or contact the service via WhatsApp only on +234 916 087 8000.

UK passport exercise faces repeated extensions

The latest extension follows an earlier decision by the NIS to move the deadline for its UK passport intervention exercise to October 30 after demand for the service remained high.

The exercise had previously been extended to October 3, as the immigration service sought to accommodate Nigerians requiring passport services across multiple cities in the United Kingdom.

• The NIS Abuja Passport Intervention Team was deployed for the exercise, with services initially scheduled in London and Manchester from September 7 to 19, and in Aberdeen and Cardiff from September 21 to 26.
• The exercise also experienced an operational setback in London after the Nigeria High Commission cited “unforeseen technical challenges” and moved the intervention from its original venue at Liyali Lounge to 56–57 Fleet Street, Temple.

The intervention programme was introduced to bring passport services closer to Nigerians in the UK through temporary centres in multiple cities.

Recent developments in Nigeria Immigration Service

The latest extension of the UK passport intervention exercise comes amid broader administrative and operational developments within the Nigeria Immigration Service and other agencies under the Federal Ministry of Interior.

These developments include the extension of the tenures of the heads of the NIS and Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), alongside measures to improve passport processing and address application backlogs.

• On October 19, 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved an 18-month extension of the tenures of NIS Comptroller-General Kemi Nanna Nandap and NCoS Controller-General Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, keeping them in office until June 30, 2028, and May 26, 2028, respectively.
• In December 2025, the NCoS announced the promotion of 16,582 officers under its 2025 Senior and Junior Officers Promotion exercise, approved by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB).
• Meanwhile, in August 2026, the NIS deployed a dedicated Passport Intervention Team to the United Kingdom to process pending applications, enrol new applicants and handle passport renewals for Nigerians living abroad.

The deployment followed a directive from Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who instructed the NIS Comptroller-General to send the team from the service’s headquarters to work with the Nigerian High Commission in London.