Nigerians living in Canada have praised the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and other agencies involved in a passport intervention programme carried out across five Canadian locations.
The exercise, conducted between August 12 and September 4, 2026, brought passport services directly to Nigerian communities in Toronto, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatoon and Calgary.
Passport Intervention Reaches Five Canadian Locations
The programme was organised as part of the Nigeria Diaspora Economic Conference (NiDEC) in Toronto and involved a joint effort by the Ministry of Interior, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the Nigerian High Commission, NIS, the Nigerian Canadian Association Council of Presidents and several Nigerian Canadian associations.
The arrangement allowed Nigerians in different parts of Canada to access passport-related services without having to rely solely on the usual service arrangements.
2,233 Applicants Captured
A total of 2,233 applicants were captured during the intervention.
The exercise covered five locations, bringing officials closer to Nigerian communities in Toronto, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatoon and Calgary.
The deployment formed part of the coordinated effort involving Nigerian government agencies and diaspora organisations to provide passport services across the participating locations.
Beneficiaries Report Faster Passport Delivery
Several Nigerians who participated in the exercise expressed satisfaction with the time taken to process and deliver their passports.
Some beneficiaries said they received their passports between four and seven days after completing their biometric capture.
One beneficiary in Manitoba said she received her passport within a week of completing her biometric registration and praised the officials involved in the exercise.
Another applicant reported receiving a passport four days after biometric capture and described the exercise as organised and efficient.
The experiences provide examples of how participants experienced the intervention, although the supplied material does not establish that the same delivery period applied to every applicant.
How The Joint Programme Worked
The intervention involved cooperation between government institutions and Nigerian community organisations in Canada.
The Ministry of Interior, NiDCOM, Nigerian High Commission and NIS worked alongside the Nigerian Canadian Association Council of Presidents and other Nigerian Canadian associations to coordinate the exercise.
NIS officers were deployed to the five locations to attend to applicants, including during weekends, according to community representatives.
The Nigerian Canadian Association Council of Presidents also acknowledged the role played by NiDCOM and NIS in coordinating passport services across the participating cities.
What The Programme Meant For Nigerians In Canada
Community representatives said the intervention demonstrated the practical benefit of bringing government services closer to Nigerians living outside the country.
They also said the exercise helped strengthen engagement between Nigerian government institutions and citizens in the diaspora.
The programme therefore combined passport processing with direct engagement between government agencies and Nigerian communities in Canada.
Community Leaders Seek A Second Phase
Following the completion of the first phase, community leaders called on the Federal Government to consider extending the intervention.
They want the Minister of Interior to approve a second phase for Nigerians who were unable to participate in the initial exercise.
Such an extension, if approved, would give additional Nigerians in Canada another opportunity to obtain or renew their passports through a similar intervention.
What Happens Next
The immediate issue is whether the Federal Government will approve another phase of the passport intervention in Canada.
The supplied information confirms the request from community leaders but does not state that a second phase has been approved.
For now, the first intervention has concluded after providing passport services across the five participating Canadian locations, with community representatives calling for the programme to be extended.
