Nigerians in the United Kingdom have expressed frustration over alleged delays and poor coordination at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport intervention exercise in Manchester.
The intervention began on Monday, September 7, 2026, as part of a special exercise designed to help Nigerians in the UK obtain new passports, renew existing ones and resolve outstanding applications.
However, applicants who arrived at the Manchester centre said they were left waiting for hours, with some alleging that only a small number of people had been attended to several hours after the exercise began.
The complaints have raised questions about the organisation of the exercise, the number of personnel deployed and the arrangements made to handle the expected number of applicants.
One applicant alleged on X that Nigerians were left embarrassed in the presence of UK police and the venue’s owner.
The applicant claimed that the owner complained about payment for the venue and alleged that there were insufficient staff and security personnel available.
“He said he hasn’t been paid, no staff, no security. 3 people attended to in 1 hour…”
The claim about non-payment has not been independently verified, and there has been no official confirmation from the NIS or the Nigeria High Commission that the venue had not been paid.
Other Nigerians questioned the arrangements for the intervention exercise, particularly the decision to use an external venue and whether adequate operational planning had been put in place.
The complaints were particularly significant for applicants who had made appointments and travelled considerable distances to attend the exercise.
The passport intervention was announced by the NIS in August as a special deployment intended to address passport-related challenges among Nigerians living in the UK.
According to the Nigeria High Commission in London, the Manchester exercise is being conducted at Nigeria House, 23 Platt Lane, Manchester, and is scheduled to run from September 7 to 21, 2026.
The intervention is being conducted alongside a similar exercise in London, while teams are scheduled to move to Aberdeen and Cardiff from September 21 to 26.
Applicants were instructed to complete their passport applications and make the required payments before attending their appointments. They were also required to present documents including their application forms, payment receipts, appointment slips and, for renewals, their existing passports.
The NIS had urged applicants to cooperate with officials to ensure a smooth and orderly exercise.
The Service also said its regular digital passport application channels remained operational during the intervention, including its Contactless Passport Application System, with home delivery available.
The reported problems in Manchester have nevertheless prompted concerns about whether sufficient staff and logistical resources were deployed for the first day of the exercise.
The situation also raises questions about the arrangements between the organisers and the venue, although claims concerning payment, staffing and security remain allegations from applicants until officially confirmed.
As of the time of filing this report, TheNaijaWide had not found an official response from the Nigeria Immigration Service addressing the complaints or confirming the allegations about the venue’s payment and security arrangements.
The intervention is expected to continue in Manchester through September 21, giving the NIS an opportunity to address the reported difficulties and improve the process for applicants attending on subsequent days.
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