I recently visited the Naija embassy in London to get a visa as i am due to travel to the motherland in a few months for some jiving lol. (u can read about my exp in Naija esp with Naija babes in the sexuality section when i return to spill d beans) Anyway i went to the Embassy and i must say it is a far cry from the days of endless queues outside the embassy all the way to trafalgar square lol. It was actually more organised than i thought it would be.

approaching the embassy, scaffolding work obscuring our proud green white green

not as much queue as in the past. . .hmmn signs of progress?

a lil bit chaotic in the interview room but the staff seem in control . . was impressed

even oyibo dey very comfortable with the environment lol. very orderly

Ambassadors for a good cause, this guy no gree release my visa on same day no matter how much i offer to pay. Him say they must follow protocol e be like say things dey change o my bros and sis

Oya make una drop comments. The only other thing I observed is that our people too get strong body odour. Make una dey try baff small if una dey go public places. This was applicable to both ladies and gents.

Nice to read.
Gbenga Ashiru must be pulling his weight. He did promise a shake-up in the Foreign Affairs ministry.

Lolz at the BO comment

@op, I have a small problem. I need a passport re-issue but the interview date they gave to me is Jan 6 2011. I really need it fast but can't wait. I have been trying to call but they don't seem to answer their phone. What do you suggest I do?

the disturbing thing about Body Odour is that those who have it tend not to know, they are used to the smell.

Good job i hear its alot better now. My sister booked an appointment to get a nigerian passport for her baby daughter.
she was given about 5/6 months waiting time or thereabout. she paid the money called again and was informed to call on a certain date for a closer appointment date. i must confess i was worried they were playing with her and her money go don waste but true to their words she was able to get a more conviniet appointment and also arranged for her husband to collect the passport in london (as he worked there) as opposed to her travelling again all the way from Scotland to collect it in about 2weeks time. They have improved,

touchmeder:

Good job i hear its alot better now. My sister booked an appointment to get a nigerian passport for her baby daughter.
she was given about 5/6 months waiting time or thereabout. she paid the money called again and was informed to call on a certain date for a closer appointment date. i must confess i was worried they were playing with her and her money go don waste but true to their words she was able to get a more conviniet appointment and also arranged for her husband to collect the passport in london (as he worked there) as opposed to her travelling again all the way from Scotland to collect it in about 2weeks time. They have improved,

pls help me. What number can I call so that they can also shift my appointment? They told me to come Jan 2012 and that's too long as I need to go back to 9ja soon. You can email me. Many thanks.

:d :d ;d ;d ;d

@ OP: to by-pass all the visa malarky, why not get a nigerian passport if it is possible for you.
Yes the High Commision has improved their service, got my nigerian passport 7 working days from when i submit my application. I also think that they have employed proper people and not the 'agberos' that use to be there before.

tit_squeez:

Oya make una drop comments. The only other thing I observed is that our people too get strong body odour. Make una dey try baff small if una dey go public places. This was applicable to both ladies and gents.

As for the BO,the embassy needs air conditioner or ventilators to keep the air fresh or simply tell those who don't take their bath before coming to the place to simply go and do so or else won't be given any attention.

The govt. should try and computerize the system to reduce the number of people visiting the embassy. It's time Nigeria learn to do things right. Get those equipment in place and reduce stress for those having appointments.

AjanleKoko:

Nice to read.
Gbenga Ashiru must be pulling his weight. He did promise a shake-up in the Foreign Affairs ministry.

I doubt that really - the improvements have been more or less in place since early last year. They are generally orderly and organised, although the 'Nigerian factor' rears its head sooner than later:

- People intentionally showing up with incomplete documents, aiming to complete them at the embassy and thus slowing down the process for everyone.

- Failure to obey simple instructions (related to the above point)

- Unreasonable requirements that make little sense - e.g. wives needing authorisation from their husbands to change their names.

An additional reason for the absence of queues is that the backlog of passport renewals has finally been reduced to a reasonable level. At the peak of renewals, the queues definitely existed (no fault of the embassy of course) and this is as recently as January 2011.

As for the oyinbos being orderly, they have learned the hustle as well as naija folk. I was there one day and this oyinbo man was asking who he could beg to get his visa issued.

The man submitted his passport without two empty side-by-side pages and they refused to issue the visa and he had to travel the next Monday (it was a Friday). While he should've read the requirements, the officials should have checked to ensure the two pages were indeed available before collecting the application.

As for my personal experience, they still have some major issues with incompetence - I went to apply for a naija visa for my daughter, and went early ahead of time to avoid wahala. The numpties issued the visa, but it would have expired BEFORE the intended travel date!  

Thank goodness I checked before leaving, but they actually had the nerve to tell me I applied too early and should have waited - this is after CLEARLY putting the intended travel date on the form when applying.  

The visa had to be cancelled and reissued - but even with that there were issues. Some daft woman with a terrible British accent refused to re-issue the visa because she claimed I hadn't paid for the application in the first place. I guess they were too daft to understand that I must have paid in the first place to get the first visa issued. . . .I don't know why they bother having electronic payment if they rely on seeing a paper receipt to confirm I have paid.

In the end I had to wait an extra 2 hours before the visa was issued to me that day - I refused to go back there a third time, after paying $140 for a visa.

Once she gets to naija she's getting her naija passport sorted out - I hope to never have to go to that embassy again.

Bottomline, they have improved, but still have a long way to go. Nigerians behaving themselves and following simple instructions will also make things work better.

odiaero:

@op, did u just say getting visa 4 your own country, or am i reading double?

yes. . . . you get a visa to Nigeria if you don't have 9ja passport

and they can deny you too if documentations are not in order

I think tit_Squeeze is in a better position to clarify this.

I am not doubting the story, I know the Nigerian High Commision has improved in recent times, but I am completely lost trying to figure out how he could be without out a Nigerian passport. I know there could be a particular instance where that may be possible but would rather not put words to his mouth.

tit_Squeeze, pls clarify

Of course, if he carries Nigerian passport, no need for visa to naija now

Yes o.
since i got my naija passport, it just seems like a large weight off my shoulders.

from agency (tickets) to heathrow.
fantastic.

Tit_squeeze probably is yet to get his naija kpale.
its worth it ; land in abuja, head to immigration and just give them some money and it will be out sharpish.
no more embassy for a decade or more.
sweet

the Nigerian Embassy in London is an absolute and complete joke. I'm yet to hear fom someone who had a good experience. Better off doing the tin in ogun state every year!

@Kx yes she must get visa to go 9ja because she choose to use British passport then 9ja own so all of them using British passport must pay the price by getting visa before going to their motherland as she said.

kudos to nigerian embassy in london. so when is this change going to reach rome? nigerian embassy in rome is still the worst embassy in the world. one need to pay bribe before getting appointment, since the services in the embassy has been hijacked by touts. there is no direct services from the embassy, what people get here is indirect services, with touts serving as the middle men. what a shame.
  the embassador is the first son of oba of benin. the man has shown how irresponsible his father's palace and kingdom is. the same embassador is the future OBA of benin. my fear is, how can a corrupt man like this be allowed to rule a  whole empire. nigerians protested last year in front of the embassy, but all to no aveil. there is a recent facebook campaign titled "stop the use of touts in nigerian embassy rome.

lond07»

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I think tit_Squeeze is in a better position to clarify this.

I am not doubting the story, I know the Nigerian High Commision has improved in recent times, but I am completely lost trying to figure out how he could be without out a Nigerian passport. I know there could be a particular instance where that may be possible but would rather not put words to his mouth.

tit_Squeeze, pls clarify

U be bad guy ooo, wetin u wan make hin clarify, u wan put the guy for spot, lol

unipol:

kudos to nigerian embassy in london. so when is this change going to reach rome? nigerian embassy in rome is still the worst embassy in the world. one need to pay bribe before getting appointment, since the services in the embassy has been hijacked by touts. there is no direct services from the embassy, what people get here is indirect services, with touts serving as the middle men. what a shame.
  the embassador is the first son of oba of benin. the man has shown how irresponsible his father's palace and kingdom is. the same embassador is the future OBA of benin. my fear is, how can a corrupt man like this be allowed to rule a  whole empire. nigerians protested last year in front of the embassy, but all to no aveil. there is a recent facebook campaign titled "stop the use of touts in nigerian embassy rome.

Does the bolded explain why we have so many Benin girls in Italy? Or do we have another mini-Benin Kingdom in Rome headed by no other person than the heir to the Benin throne? see where father-son connection has landed us.

LWKMD, i have heard a lot about our embassy in London from my friends experiences, all i can was nothing but laugh, smh. funny enough here is another person complaining about Rome.OH GOD wen will my dear country change from these kinda of stories. My friends worst experience apart from the non spacious queing arrangement(not without d normal skipping by d 'YOU KNOW WHO I AM') is dat you pay in dollars wen u re living in d U K and applying to a country using Naira, WTF, i beta do my renewal or wateva bck home.

do Nigerians still need a visa to visit nigeria ?

Exactly the first question that entered ma mind. I have never resided abroad more than 1 month, was thinkin that was why I did not have course to get visa for comin back. It beats ma imaginantion!

can anyone plz help me, am trying to apply for my nigerian e-pasport at the nigerian high comission london but on the website says:

TO OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS:

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED TEMPORARILY DUE TO TECHNICAL ISSUES.

WE WILL INFORM YOU ONCE WE BEGIN TO PHASE IN THIS REQUIREMENT IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU.

so how do we make our application?

thanks