By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Nigerian embassy in Qatar has recorded a major reduction in processing times for passport renewals and issuances, returning newly produced travel documents to applicants in around two weeks.
The improvement followed a dedicated passport intervention exercise conducted in Doha between 11 and 21 August 2026. During the 10-day drive, embassy staff processed applications for 751 Nigerian nationals, including 441 requests for five-year passports and 310 for 10-year passports.
Distribution of the completed passports began on 18 September—less than a month after the biometric capture phase ended—allowing applicants to receive their documents far earlier than typical diplomatic processing cycles.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Qatar, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, described the rapid turnaround as a major milestone for the mission’s consular services.
According to Prof Yakubu, “The fact that passports are now being completed and returned within about two weeks of capture demonstrates our commitment to improving service delivery and responding to the needs of our community,”
Yakubu added that the mission “recognizes how critical valid passports are for international travel, employment, and residency status for citizens living abroad”.
The faster processing initiative comes amid rising demand for consular support among the growing Nigerian expatriate population in the Gulf state.
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