Nigerians in United States petition Tinubu, VP, Interior Minister, others over passport printers’ challenges

• Raise alarm over consequences of such

• Proffer solution on way out

By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja

The Organization for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN, Inc.) and its over twenty partner organizations in the United States of America, have expressed disappointment over non response to their letter on the urgent need for passport printers at the Nigerian Consulates in New York and Atlanta to address significant challenges faced by Nigerians in the United States.

The OAN, inc, made their grievances known in a petition addressed to the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in Abuja, copies of which were sent to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb Yusuf Tuggar.

The organisations recalled that their first letter, written over a year ago, which was yet to be attended to by the Minister of Interior emphasized the urgent need for passport printers at the Nigerian Consulates in New York and Atlanta to address significant challenges faced by Nigerians in the United States.

The letter signed by its President, Olutomi Aregbesola for OAN and Partner Organizations, reads in part, “We write on behalf of the Organization for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN, Inc.) and its partner organizations to express our deep disappointment over the lack of response from your office to our letter submitted a year ago.

“That letter emphasized the urgent need for passport printers at the Nigerian Consulates in New York and Atlanta to address significant challenges faced by Nigerians in the United States.

“Despite highlighting the heavy burden especially on the New York Consulate, inefficiencies caused by centralized passport printing in Washington, D.C., and security risks associated with monthly travels by immigration officers to print passports, there has been no formal acknowledgment or tangible action from your office.

“This silence is both concerning and disheartening.

“Nigerians in the U.S. continue to face undue stress and frustration in accessing consular services.

“Many are stranded without valid passports, unable to travel for emergencies, work, or family commitments.

“The lack of passport printers in New York and Atlanta causes avoidable delays and creates an entirely preventable bottleneck.

“What makes this situation even more distressing is the discovery that two passport printers are currently domiciled at the Mission in Washington, D.C., one of which has remained idle.

“It is alleged that this printer remains unused because the former Minister of Interior and Comptroller General of Immigration feared that deploying it to either New York or Atlanta might provoke dissatisfaction in the other Mission.

“This reasoning defies logic and reflects a lack of informed and strategic decision-making.

“Instead of alleviating suffering, boosting efficiency, and reducing costs, this inaction forces immigration officers from New York and Atlanta to travel to Washington, D.C., incurring unnecessary expenses, exposing themselves to travel risks, and jeopardizing Nigeria’s national data security. Such excuses for inaction are indefensible and unacceptable.

“The New York Consulate, which serves the largest jurisdiction in the U.S., covering multiple states with a high concentration of Nigerian citizens, urgently requires the resources to meet demand.

“In 2025, it is unacceptable that Nigerians in this region endure significant delays and travel burdens to obtain passports”, it said.

The Organizations pointedly told the Minister that the consequences of his office’s inaction could be severe.

They listed some of the consequences to include; increased public frustration,

national security risk and negative impact on Nigeria’s image abroad.

The OAN, inc, and its affiliate organizations therefore requested the following immediate corrective actions from the Minister’s office:

*Redeploy the idle printer in Washington, D.C., to the New York Mission (the highest traffic for consular services in the U.S.) immediately, while deploying an additional printer to Atlanta as soon as possible. Additional printers should be allocated as needed to meet demand.

*Conduct a transparent investigation to identify and hold accountable those responsible for this gross lapse in judgment.

*Provide a clear timeline for resolving the passport production issues at the New York and Atlanta Consulates..

The neglect and excuses, the associations said, must stop, adding, “Nigerians in the U.S. are deeply patriotic, law-abiding, and hardworking individuals who deserve nothing short of excellence in service delivery”.