Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK Amb. Sarafa Ishola, has stated that the Mission had processed over 24,000 passports in the last three months.
Ishola stated this when he received Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) who paid him a courtesy call at the Mission House in London.
He added that the Mission had cleared a backlog of 17,000 applications since he assumed office.
“The Mission now posts passports to applicants rather than the previous process of coming back to collect their passports,” he added.
The High Commissioner also expressed desire for diaspora remittances to be channelled to sustainable sectors of the economy, while stressing that he will focus on strengthening bilateral relations between Nigeria and the UK.
The Envoy stressed that the Mission had continuous engagements with various diaspora groups in the UK and advised them to work in unity and as one entity.
Hon. Dabiri-Erewa commended the dynamism the newly appointed Nigerian High Commissioner and the staff of the High Commission, have brought in issuance and clearing of passports backlogs in UK.
Presenting a copy of the Diaspora policy to the High Commissioner, the NIDCOM Chairman applauded the innovations as relates to passport issuance at the Mission, stressing that it should be the norm and not an aberration.
Dabiri-Erewa, who witnessed the positive testimonies of some Nigerians present at the Mission for passport issuance, encouraged the new Envoy not to rest on his oars.
She also advised Nigerians to apply for renewal of their passports six months before the expiry date, as new Nigerian passports now have a 10- year validity period.
