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UK Moves To Reduce Visa Processing Time …As NIS Assures On Backlog Of Passport Clearance
Following the upsurge in visa applications across all visa routes, the United Kingdom has said it is working to reduce the current visa processing time.
The United Kingdom Visas and Immigration, in a statement made available by the British High Commission in Nigeria, yesterday, said the unpredictable demand was a result of the ongoing impact of COVID-19.
The United Kingdom Visas and Immigration added that standard visitor visa applications are taking on average six weeks to process.
“Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and global travel restrictions, UKVI are experiencing unpredictable demand across all visa routes.
“Standard visitor visa applications are taking on average six weeks to process. UK Visas and Immigration are working to reduce the current processing time as quickly as possible,” the UK Visas and Immigration stated.
The United Kingdom Visas and Immigration further said applicants should bear in mind the current situation when making travel arrangements.
“You will be contacted by the Visa Application Centre (VAC) when your passport is ready for collection. Please, do not attend the VAC until you have been invited to do so. Where there are extremely compassionate or compelling circumstances (for example, a medical emergency), we may consider expediting specific cases.
“However, the bar for this is high and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. If your request is exceptionally urgent, you can contact UK Visas and Immigration for help. Please, note that this is a chargeable service for overseas customers. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause,” the United Kingdom Visas and Immigration also stated.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has assured Nigerians that the issue of backlog of international passports in the country will be over soon, based on the introduction of enhanced e-Passport with polycarbonate data page and other security features, that has eliminated intermediaries, touts and agents in the application for new or renewal of passports.
The immediate past zonal coordinator, Zone F of NIS, comprising Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Kwara states, Mrs. Dora Amahian, gave the assurance in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of handing over ceremony to Dr. Loretta Oemi-Ockiya, who took over the task of coordinating Zone F of NIS from her, at the zonal headquarters, Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Monday evening.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, had on December 20, 2021, had commissioned the Ibadan Production Centre for international passports, which is expected to serve Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and Kwara states.
He said it would take maximum of six weeks for Nigerians to obtain new international passports, while renewal of the passports would also take a maximum of three weeks.
Amahian, an Assistant Comptroller General(ACG), who is to resume as the Acting Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Planning Research and Statistics Directorate at the service headquarters in Abuja, said: “The problem that Immigration Service has all over the country is the issue of passport backlog, and very soon, that will be over, particularly with the introduction of the e-enhanced passport, which is a transparent process that does not allow any intermediary, touts, or agents to do it. You can do it yourself, by paying online. You don’t need anybody to do it for you. It is quite simple and the website is www.immigration.gov.ng.
“So, once you go online, make payment, you will pick the one that is applicable to you, whether it is new or re-issue. If it is re-issue you are doing, you will click on Reissue, you will fill the form. After filling the form, you will print it out and take it to Passport Office. It is a better kind of passport. It is of improved quality,unlike the ink one that we were using before; this is a technological-based one.”
Amahian, also noted that the Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) have been very supportive, appealing to them to be more supportive to NIS.
“The governors in this zone have been very supportive, particularly the governors in Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti. Oyo is not lagging behind either. He is pulling his weight. But I will urge them to please consider us as the image makers of the country. We are and we should be treated as such. We need them to reconsider our position. They should not be saying the NIS belongs to the Federal Government. Yes, we work for the Federal Government. But at the same time, we are in the states to issue facilities to their citizens.
“So, that is why they should at least accord us more respect, more regard, and at the same time, help us in setting things. I won’t say they should come and fund the federal service organisation. But they know what to do.”
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a Federal Executive Council committee to move swiftly on measures to further reduce food prices across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja, on Wednesday.
According to him, the directive focuses on ensuring safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs.
“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, high transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods.
Despite government interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.
The minister said the plan is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—beyond availability to ensure affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
To back this up, he revealed that government is set to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.
The event, with the theme, “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
The Federal Government has warned contractors, including foreign firms, that any breach of regulations in road projects awarded to them may lead to arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the warning during an inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the East-West Road (Section IIIA) from Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction in Rivers State.
The section is being executed by Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited.
Responding to questions from journalists, Umahi commended the quality of work on the project but expressed displeasure over the slow pace, stressing that the December completion deadline remains sacrosanct.
On the project, he said:“The quality of the work is excellent, but the pace of work is totally unacceptable. Let me make it very clear to the contractor that this project will neither be reviewed nor varied in price or claims.
“I’m sure we have issued over 10 warning letters to them. If they fail to comply with the completion deadline of December 15, we will not extend it.”
He added that the ministry had already put measures in place to enforce compliance
“The comptroller has negative certificates to issue, and I will recover the money from any of their other projects. All those letters are on record, and when the time comes, they will be invoked. Any contractor who refuses to abide by regulations will have the EFCC and ICPC to contend with,” he said.
Umahi further disclosed that the Federal Government had directed that road projects valued below N20bn would no longer be awarded to expatriate companies, in line with its “Nigeria First” policy aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity in the construction sector.
“This is part of the Nigeria First policy of the Federal Government. Henceforth, no expatriate firm will be awarded any project valued below N20bn. Such projects must go to indigenous companies, while expatriates focus on higher-value projects requiring more technical capacity,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Federal Ministry of Works had adopted a funding prioritisation framework to sustain road projects initially financed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
He stressed that President Bola Tinubu had directed that none of such projects should be abandoned, adding that priority would be given to critical economic corridors.
Umahi also decried the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty vehicles on highways, saying it was damaging the pavements of completed sections of the road.
He said letters would be sent to state governors and the Inspector-General of Police to enforce punitive measures against defaulters.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State, Mrs Enwereama Tarilade, said RCC had completed 15km of the right carriageway and commenced work on the left carriageway, with one kilometre already laid in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement.
The Rivers State Government says it will ensure the smooth and successful takeoff of the newly established Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET), in Ogoniland.
This commitment was made yesterday by the Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), during a courtesy visit by the university’s Governing Council and Management team at the Government House, in Port Harcourt.
The high-level delegation was led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Professor Don Baridam and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedu Mmom.
In his address, Administrator Ibas warmly congratulated the pioneer council and management on their appointments, describing their task as both a recognition of individual accomplishment and a historic call to duty.
“This is not just a recognition of your personal achievements but also a call to history to shape an institution that will have a profound impact on Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and indeed our country,” he stated.
The Administrator commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the establishment of the specialized university in Ogoniland, describing the initiative as “timely and strategic.”
He emphasized that the university’s presence offers a critical opportunity to drive research, innovation, and community-focused solutions to the region’s pressing environmental and developmental challenges.
He further noted that the university’s core focus aligns perfectly with the priorities of his administration.“We consider this university not merely as another institution of higher learning but as a strategic partner in our collective effort to rebuild Rivers State under the ongoing state of emergency and beyond,” he affirmed.
Responding to specific requests presented by the delegation, Administrator Ibas assured the university of immediate support in critical areas essential for the its commencement.
These include the provision of operational vehicles, key facilities, and the completion of the access road to the campus, adding that other vital needs, such as perimeter fencing, refuse disposal, and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, would be addressed within the framework of the state’s broader infrastructure and support programmes.
To ensure swift action, the Administrator directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to work closely with the university’s Governing Council to prioritize the sequence of requests, particularly those tied to the commencement of academic activities in September 2025.
“Let me assure you that Rivers State Government will stand as a dependable partner to the Federal University of Environment and Technology. We see this university as part of our long-term investment in knowledge, innovation, and the future of our youths,” he emphasized.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Don Baridam, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community development.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has directed the institution to formally commence its academic session in September 2025, adding that preparations are in full swing to ensure a smooth take-off with adequate infrastructure and resources in place.
“Today’s meeting marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the Rivers State Government and FUET, envisioned to establish the university as a premier hub for research, innovation, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta”, he said.