Nigeria Immigration confirms payment issues amid fee hike

• Published On: 24 August 2024 at 19:03

The Nigeria Immigration Service has confirmed that its online payment platform for passport applications is experiencing technical issues.

This acknowledgement comes after widespread reports of Nigerians struggling to complete their passport applications through the NIS online portal.

In a statement titled "Technical Glitches with Online Payment Platform," issued on August 23, 2024, the NIS addressed the ongoing issues and apologized for any inconvenience caused to applicants.

The full statement reads: "Technical issues with the online payment platform."

"We apologize for the downtime experienced with online applications on our Passport Service windows."

"The Service assures the public that seamless service will be restored in the shortest possible time. Any inconvenience this may have caused is deeply regretted.

"Please bear with us."

The service is reportedly working to resolve the issue and return to normal operations as soon as possible.

The technical glitch occurred just days after the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) announced an increase in passport fees for Nigerians residing in the country, which will take effect on September 1, 2024.

The timing of the issue has raised concerns among applicants who are already paying higher fees for passport processing.

Under the new pricing structure, a 32-page passport booklet with a five-year validity will cost N50,000, up from N35,000. Furthermore, the price of a 64-page passport booklet with a ten-year validity will increase from N70,000 to N100,000.