Nigerians living in the United Kingdom have praised the Federal Government over reforms in the country’s passport application process, saying the introduction of the contactless renewal system has dramatically cut waiting times from several months to as few as five days.

Speaking from different cities across the UK, diaspora Nigerians described the new system as a significant departure from what they called years of frustrating delays, long-distance travel, and bureaucratic bottlenecks that once defined the passport renewal experience abroad.

Timileyin Gbenga, a Nigerian community figure based in Birmingham, said he experienced both systems firsthand and the contrast was stark.

He said, ” I was applying for my passport through the normal process, from the application time when I applied online to the time I got my passport, it took me more than six months.I had to travel from Birmingham to London to the Nigerian High Commission for biometrics. But when I used the contactless process for a family member, it took less than two weeks from the day we applied to the day the passport was delivered.”

Gbenga attributed the transformation to the leadership of Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“That is the change we are all looking for. That is the change we all desire as Nigerians. We need to appreciate the initiative, we need to appreciate changes,” he said.

Similarly, Gbenga Ogunderu, a Coventry-based Nigerian, described the experience as emblematic of a broader digital shift.

“Back then, a couple of years before this government, we were experiencing a very funny process — analog, backwardness.But now we are experiencing something very remarkable. You can be in the comfort of your home and make applications and get it at your doorstep without stress. Within just two weeks, I had my passport. That is what technology does. That is what innovation does,”he said.

Ogunderu called the development a sign that Nigeria was beginning to compete with more technologically advanced nations.

“This is 2026. We should be doing this, not the other way around,” he added.

Dr. Adekunle Shonola, a senior lecturer in artificial intelligence and data analytics at Coventry University, who doubles as the president of Nigerians living in the city of Coventry, said the change represented a measurable leap in efficiency.

“I could remember in those days, we used to travel all the way from Coventry to London, just to capture biometrics, then go back again, just to get a passport.It takes roughly more than six months. But nowadays, I’ve seen members of our community get their passports within one week,” the senior lecturer said.

Dr. Shonola, who holds dual Nigerian and British citizenship, noted that the ease with which he once obtained his British passport digitally was now mirrored in the Nigerian system.

“The Nigerian government, in terms of obtaining passports, has been able to level up with the UK and the Western world in that regard. This is a very welcome development, ” he said.

Engineer Rufus Idowu, an automation engineer with Royal Mail and a management staff member of the Nigerian community in Coventry, said some members had received their passports in as little as five days.

“We’ve had some of our members that collected their passports within five days. They processed everything in their room and it came through to them. The Interior Ministry under the leadership of Dr. Tunji-Ojo is doing very well, ” he said.

Ahmed Oyelade, also based in Coventry, said reports from siblings, colleagues, and friends confirmed a broad improvement in the experience.

“What they have been saying is there is a large improvement in the system.Now they can stay in their various homes to make an application for their renewal and under two to three weeks they will get their passport renewed without going through the previous stress,”he said.

Oyelade added that the shift represented more than administrative convenience.

“The Minister of Interior is not just there again for announcing public holidays — we have now seen the reforms working. “This has increased our confidence in them,” he said.

Dr. Shonola similarly called for uniform rollout, including in Nigeria itself, where network infrastructure remains a challenge.

He said, “If they can collaborate with other departments in charge of networking and making sure the system and database integrate and work very well, that would be helpful. It should be uniform — not only for Nigerians in the UK, but for everyone obtaining a Nigerian passport regardless of where they are.”

Engineer Idowu, meanwhile, stressed that sustaining the momentum would be decisive.

“The Western world that we see today moving faster — there is nothing more than sustainability. If they can sustain it, we will soon get to our promised land. If we start a good thing, we shouldn’t be distracted. We should just face where we are going,” he said. (The Guardian)