Nigerians living in Canada have praised the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for the successful completion of a passport intervention programme held across five Canadian provinces.
It was reported that the program, organized as part of the Nigeria Diaspora Economic Conference (NiDEC) in Toronto, was conducted between August 12 and September 4, 2026. Access Premium News
A total of 2,233 applicants were captured during the exercise, which took passport services directly to Nigerian communities in Toronto, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatoon and Calgary.
The programme was carried out through a joint effort involving the Ministry of Interior, NiDCOM, the Nigerian High Commission, NIS, the Nigerian Canadian Association Council of Presidents and various Nigerian Canadian associations.
Several Nigerians who benefited from the exercise expressed satisfaction with the speed at which their passports were processed and delivered.
Some applicants said they received their passports between four and seven days after completing their biometric capture, reducing the waiting period usually associated with passport processing.
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One beneficiary in Manitoba received her passport within a week of completing her biometric registration and praised the officials involved in the exercise for their commitment to serving Nigerians living outside the country.
Another applicant said the passport was delivered four days after biometric capture and described the exercise as properly organised and efficient.
Representatives of the Nigerian community in Canada said the programme showed the benefits of government services being taken closer to Nigerians in the diaspora.
They also said the exercise helped strengthen the relationship between the Nigerian Government and its citizens living in Canada.
The community leaders also praised the Nigeria Immigration Service for sending officers to the five locations and making arrangements to attend to applicants despite demanding schedules, including work on weekends. DownloadInteractive Maps
The Nigerian Canadian Association Council of Presidents also acknowledged the contributions of NiDCOM and the Nigeria Immigration Service to the coordination of the programme.
According to the association, the cooperation between government agencies and Nigerian diaspora organisations made it possible to provide passport services across several cities under one coordinated programme.
Following the completion of the first phase, community leaders have called on the Federal Government to consider extending the intervention.
They want the Minister of Interior to approve a second phase that would give Nigerians in Canada who were unable to participate in the first exercise another opportunity to obtain or renew their passports.