Hundreds of Nigerians in the United Kingdom were reportedly left stranded and frustrated at a newly opened Nigerian Passport Intervention Centre in Manchester after applicants waited for hours without receiving the services they had travelled to the venue for.
The incident occurred as the Nigeria Immigration Service commenced a special passport intervention exercise in the UK to attend to Nigerians seeking passport-related services.
According to a public announcement signed by the Service Public Relations Officer, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, the London and Manchester phases of the exercise were scheduled to run concurrently from September 7 to September 19, 2026.
However, the exercise reportedly got off to a chaotic start, with Nigerians arriving from different parts of the UK complaining about delays and poor organisation at the Manchester centre.
An X user, @Oluomoofderby, who was at the centre, said some applicants had arrived as early as 9am but were still waiting several hours later without being attended to.
He expressed concern that many applicants had taken time off work and travelled long distances to access the passport services, only to be left waiting without clear information about when they would be attended to.
The development sparked frustration among those at the venue, with calls for the Nigeria Immigration Service and other officials involved in the exercise to improve planning, communication and coordination.
Videos from the centre showed a large crowd of Nigerians gathered at the venue as they waited for the passport intervention exercise to begin.
The intervention exercise was introduced to help Nigerians living in the UK address outstanding passport applications, renewals and other passport-related issues.
The situation has, however, raised concerns among applicants about the organisation of the exercise and the treatment of Nigerians who travelled significant distances to access the services.
The London and Manchester passport intervention exercises are expected to continue until September 19.
