My Nigerian Visa Experience – How to avoid visa problems

The Nigerian High Commission, UK

After 34 emails and 28 phone calls to almost everyone at the Nigerian Embassy (and they never replied me very rude people) and various people at SW Globall LLC (– the company
that the passport office contracts to handle payments) I finally gave up. I was told by phone call and by email to go and see a particular man at the embassy.. I cannot reveal this man’s name but if you want a super fast passport or visa application contact me later. Wink*. For now,  I shall call him Mr T SW Global was a bit OK but quite disorganized and their system is not good. Later, I found out that Global LLC is own by a couple of Igbo men and they are probably not based in Nigeria as their website states but in a ramshackle office behind Oluwole in Lagos!

What I don’t understand is why the payment centre for the Nigerian passport office is in the US and not in Nigeria? And, why I have to pay in dollars to go to Nigeria when I live in the UK? If you don’t have an appointment at the embassy don’t bother going they will not allow you in.

I went first time I turned up at the embassy without an appointment in frustration, I was sent back. Second time I went, I mentioned this man’s name and I was allowed in it was like magic. I was scanned with a wand that looked fake. I’m not saying it is fake –it looked fake. No bag check. I was ushered downstairs into an area that looked like a dungeon. It was small, crowed with no natural light. There were almost 200 people. Some were sitting, some were standing. I could see about four old fashion cubicles to my left and a ticket machine. The chairs were arranged in a fairly orderly manner and the naked fluorescent lights were quite unprofessional.

There was a man in a tiny office to the right side of the hall and I queued here for a few minutes to find out what I had to do. A little while later a man came to the middle of the hall shouting out names. There is no public address system. No electronic ticket counter. It was like stepping into Nigeria without the plane journey.

I was directed to another office. There is no air conditioning system and it was HOT! As I walked in between the crowd, I could see children crying from exhaustion, people sneezing, coughing, farting and so on. The odour was terrible!

By the time I got to my next point of call I was at the end of a long queue of adults pushing each other and shouting. Here. I had to explain that I could not pay online. Eventually I met the ‘famous mysterious man’ and his elegant assistant. If nothing else, I was entertained by the efficiency by which they collected money from people. I was given a tiny pink slip with a number on it and asked to go and pay by cash in a shop about 20 minutes walk away. It was a purple Cadbury's corner shop near the post office. On the way I withdrew the money. 

Once, in the shop I showed the shop keeper my pink slip, he took it with the £100 for the visa application in cash. (I wondered why I had to pay £100 instead of £88 the equivalent of $144? But at this point I was in an emergency situation). Note: If you don’t have the pink slip the shopkeeper will not take money from you. I left to buy the postal orders across the road and walked back to the passport office. 

On my way, I met a trail of fellow Nigerians going to pay or buy postal orders - it was like a pilgrimage. Even the ‘Big Issue’ man was hailing us. I bought £70 pounds worth of orders so that I could fast track my application as I had only five days before my departure date. When I got back to the passport office there was a long queue and the two officers at the door were busy sending them away or in. I was allowed in without fuss and I made my way to the little back office. I handed Mr T my receipt of £100 and was shown to a computer in the tiny room. I asked for £1 for printing the receipt and another number was given to me to process the £100 payment then I printed out a receipt and I went to queue up in the main hall. 

Here I took a number sat and waited. After an hour, I was called to one of the cubicles. I handed in the receipt I had just printed out, my passport and letter of invitation and evidence of funds and 2 passport photos and postal orders. The young man behind the counter asked me a few questions like where will you stay when are you going and how long will you be staying for etc Then, I was told to come the next day. He gave me a slip and I left. The whole interview was less than two minutes. 

Next day, I tried as much as I could but got there at 4.31pm. The whole street that is usually teeming with Naija people was quiet and empty and the door was firmly locked. So, I went back home and came back the following day in the morning. Collection was pretty straight forward. I gave the official my visa application receipt slip and collected my passport with my visa.  

I hope my adventure to the Nigerian High Commission helps you understand what you may face when you apply for your visa. Once you get to Nigerian though, my advice is that you apply for a Nigerian passport asap. I wish you all the best! 


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