US-based Nigerian spends over ₦1m renewing passport, cites consulate delays
US-based Nigerian Sage Vincent Ike said he spent over ₦1 million to renew his Nigerian passport after a four-month process marred by consulate closures, repeated payments and delays. He applied in March 2026 ahead of his passport's May expiry, planning trips to Japan, South Korea and Nigeria. After a three-hour drive from North Carolina, he found the Nigerian Consulate in Atlanta closed for the Eid-el-Fitr holiday with no prior notice. He rescheduled his biometric capture for March 27, paid $230 for a 10-year passport and an extra $50 for mailing despite providing a self-addressed envelope, bringing his US costs to $280. Months passed without receiving the passport, prompting him to seek help in Nigeria where he spent an additional ₦460,000 on processing attempts. A family friend was allegedly asked to pay $150 to collect the passport, despite having Ike's authorisation letter. He later paid $176.35 via DHL to ship the passport to Nigeria, plus hotel, feeding and flight-rescheduling expenses. He finally received the passport on July 22 and returned to the US on July 24. The Nigeria Immigration Service apologised for the inconvenience and emotional distress, noting that duplicate applications trigger strict verification and that paying third parties for passport collection is illegal, advising applicants to use only authorised representatives.