Come and collect your renewed passports with us, Consular General tells Nigerian applicants

The Consular General in Newyork has disclosed that 400 Nigerians resident in the country are yet to collect their passports which were produced within the last two years, urging the applicants to come forward and claim them.

Penpushing reports that the Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Lot Egopija, made this known at the virtual 8th Town Hall Meeting with the Nigerian community in New York, adding that the names of the original owners of the passports have been posted on the website

“Right now, we have so many uncollected passports. As at the last count, we have 400 uncollected passports that were produced within the last two years. We have posted the names of the original owners of the documents on our website and also on our community platform, the WhatsApp group,” he added.

“We have also asked Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), New Jersey Chapter, and other relevant groups, to bring it to the notice of their members. Please, while you get this, circulate and bring to the notice of your members, let them send self-addressed envelopes to us and we would post these documents to them’, Egopila said.

Penpushing further reports that Consul General explained that, some passports were earlier posted to the addresses provided but they were returned to the consulate, and also urged those that would like to renew their passports to do so before they expire.

“If you begin on time, you’ll certainly get your passports renewed before the expiration date or your intended travel date. We have been exploring a kind of model where we go to Washington DC once in a month to produce the passports, pending the time when the machine will be installed in New York’’, he said.

Penpushing also reports that the envoy explained that the call for early renewal of passports was because the consulate does not have printing machines to produce passports in New York, adding that there are three categories of the new Enhanced e-passport, and listed them as include the 32-page passport with a validity of five years, and 64-page with 10 years validity

The consular advised applicants to indicate the passport category in their forms, noting that all the categories of passports will require National Identification Number (NIN), adding that the nationals could look up the updated information on National Identification (NIN)  centres on its website.

Penpushing reports that he emphasized that the updated information on National Identification (NIN) had been sent to the WhatsApp platform for the community leaders to pass the information to their members.

The Consular General assured that any applicant that meets the requirement would get his or her passport between six and eight weeks, noting that the passport timeline for collection is usually two or three months.

Penpushing further reports that Egopija said in addition the consulate would continue to be responsive to the yearning of its nationals, stressing that the mission has started to recalibrate or change its telephone system.

“We have started to recalibrate or change our phone system whereby we will hear less of complaint that we have called and have not received or our calls have not been picked. We are returning to the old system where all the phone lines will go to the operator who will receive the calls and now send it to the relevant officers,” he said.

Penpushing also reports that he urged the association and group leaders to inform the consulate about their activities for the year so that the consulate can participate and factor them into its programmes, adding that the Mission would be relating with its nationals more this year by visiting them and attending their events.

‘We are open to attending your events if you inform us in time. You should let us know when you intend to host or have your National Days and the Flag Raising ceremony, we will come and support you,’’ he stated.

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