The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has formally acknowledged that there are now technical issues with its online passport application payment platform.
This announcement follows multiple reports from Nigerians who were having trouble using the service’s online interface to finish their passport applications.
August 23, 2024 saw the publication of a statement by the NIS headlined “Technical Glitches with Online Payment Platform,” in which it apologised for any trouble the outage had caused.
The complete statement reads: “Technical hitches with the online payment platform.”
“We apologise for the downtime being experienced with online applications on our Passport Service windows.
“The Service is assuring the public that within the shortest possible time, seamless service will be restored. All inconveniences this may have caused are highly regretted.
“Please bear with us.”
This technical error happened a few days after the NIS declared that starting of September 1, 2024, passport fees for Nigerian residents of Nigeria will be reviewed increased.
A 32-page passport booklet with a five-year validity would now cost N50,000 under the new pricing structure, while a 64-page passport booklet with a ten-year validity will now cost N100,000 under it.
What to note
Nairametrics looked into various social media networks to comprehend the bugs that the NIS verified in its most recent statement.
It was discovered that a large number of Nigerian passport applicants are having serious technical issues with the online application process run by the NIS.
Common problems include unexpectedly rescheduling appointments to later times, which causes further challenges, and difficulties validating their National Identification Number (NIN) as a result of connectivity issues with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) computers.
Frustrations have increased due to these technical issues, particularly for people who have urgent travel arrangements. The timing is especially bad because it falls on September 1, 2024, which is when the passport fee is supposed to increase.
A passport booklet that is 32 pages long and has a five-year validity will now cost N50,000, while a booklet that is 64 pages long and has a ten-year validity will cost N100,000. In an attempt to avoid the cost increase, many Nigerians have applied in large numbers as a result.
Anxiety among applicants has increased due to a mix of technical difficulties and the impending fee rise. Many people think that the NIS ought to have upgraded its online systems and better anticipated the demand.
The applicants are pleading with the NIS to expeditiously settle these issues as the deadline draws near. Although the NIS has acknowledged the issues, no precise timetable for their resolution has been given, which has left many Nigerians confused and dissatisfied.
