Last month I had to get an endorsement letter from the Nigerian Embassy in Ottawa, Canada to submit to the Canadian government. The document (Driver's License Endorsement) is quite a common request for the embassy as most adult Nigerians require the document to easily drive in Canada. Unfortunately, the document is a devoid of any significant security feature, making it look like something a person could come up with only using his laptop and standard HP printer.

According to the embassy website it should take a maximum of two weeks to receive the document after applying, but in my case it took a whole month, neverminding all that, the real problem was when I finally received the document my name was misspelled. I failed to understand how my own government could screw up their own citizens name in a document intended for foreigners or at all for that matter. The fact that I submitted my passport Info page, nigeria drivers license, Canadian visa, bank draft paying for it, all documents having my correct name on them, also seems to be irrelevant to them.

I submitted the document to the Canadian government as it was, because I was too upset and frustrated to seek a correction. Rather lettting the Canadian Special Investigations Unit look into the document and contact the embassy concerning its authenticity.

It's just amazing that after all the time I've been in foreign countries I have never had any error made on my documents or information and yet the first time I have to do business with a Nigerian embassy abroad it ends up with a serious blunder. My own country!!

Sorry pal, it happens like dat at home too!
I requested for a student's ID card in one of our Universities. I had to fill a form with my signature and next of kin name and address, but when the ID came, it had somebody's else signature and different name and address as my next of kin! University o.

Sad to hear about your experience. The last time I was there to see if I could get a Nigerian passport to make travel back home easier, it was crazy having to wait the whole day just to get personal data taken down. But after that, they actually did deliver the passport within the time frame promised, which was a pleasant surprise. It would be great if they could deliver consistently, though...

Na only canada, come see london own.

I went to london twice from manchester becos of nig passport. Come and see pple fighting, shouting pushing, shame catch me.

I always joke about it, God forbid if there was ever a fire or flooding in my house and I cud save one possesion, na my Naija passport I go save o,

It's like dat sometimes, it may be due to one reason or another. Don't be discouraged.

Its everywhere bro...Most corpers have bitter experiences in regards to this issue.

The problem Nigeria is facing is a National one...From our leaders at the top, to the common man on the street…we simply can’t get things right that’s why this nation has remained the way it was since 1960.

Non challant attitude of our government workers is so annoying

what are u complaining about sef? my friend went to the same embassy to get a new passport, they are asking for bribe, imagine. No bribe No new Passport.. Something is wrong with those people..

Go back to the embassy and beat them bloody, like these chaps did.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aeFhF1s8RM

bobthebuilder99: Go back to the embassy and beat them bloody, like these chaps did.

...U can do that in Senegal...Do it in Canada and you go hear wen....

bobthebuilder99: Go back to the embassy and beat them bloody, like these chaps did.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aeFhF1s8RM

bobthebuilder99: Go back to the embassy and beat them bloody, like these chaps did.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aeFhF1s8RM

No be new thing.

it is not only embassy. The whole infested lot of civil service is rotten. There is no competence. If you know oga, you get work, if not carry your certificates go ride keke napep.

I try to avoid anything nigerian as far as I can. You can get panic attack just trying to renew a passport or something.

And op? You made a mistake giving that wrong document to the canadian authorities. I hope it doesn't come back to haunt you in the future. In some countries, it is a crime to knowingly provide false information about yourself in offical documents. Which is exactly what you did.

My brother no be today oo, it's been a long time and it will never change until JESUS come back.

It's a standard way of life in any NIGERIAN GORVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENT.

I have witnessed a scenario where a woman came to Nigerian High commission in LONDON, all the way from MANCHESTER that's about 250 mile apart to applyfor Passport, this is a woman going to Nigeria for a funeral, haven't been messed up for 2wks she was finally crucified by issuing her a passport with another person's signature. ...what about that.....Absolutely shambles.

Their minds are not at the work they been paid for, serious misconduct.

The government of president Goodluck Jonathan has so far failed in improving the conduct and service render by the embassy's staff to it's citizen abroad.

Mr knowitall.:
The Nigerian embassy in Atlanta is much worse...bad customer service..rude employees......I remembered calling the one in new york...after being on hold for like 20 minutes this lady picked up...and i asked her is this the Nigerian embassy....she was so rude she asked me where did i call?...before i could ask her a question...she hung up.....I just forgot about the money i already sent them...and went to the Ghanaian embassy instead.....it took me 5 minutes to get a visa......

I guess everyone has different experiences because i flew into ATL and spent less than 15minutes at the commission. I didn't call anybody, just booked my ticket after filling the online NIS stuff and went there. I actually got my passport before i returned home. I had to fly out to LA from ATL for another 3days. By the time i got home, my passport was in the mail.

Staff of every Nigerian embassy every where in the world are incompetent. They are over pampered civil servants what do you expect

Wendyslim: It's like dat sometimes, it may be due to one reason or another. Don't be discouraged.

Why should it be like that sometimes, is that the same type of service you receive from US or any European Embassys, come on woman.

This are unacceptable behaviour and they all need to fired but Oga At The Top will not do that because they are all his/her boy boy.

Hopeless people.

Something similar happened to me at the immigration head quarters in Abuja when I was about receiving my passport. The name on my national passport was spelled wrongly which I need to pay a mind- boggling fee of 25K after paying 15 thousand to have the passport in the first place to correct their mistake. Their is something wrong with us as a country. We don't know how to process data properly. It's a shame!

U got lucky they did not lose your passport. It happened to a friend of mine at Naija Embassy. They got their job through cronyism and Oga at the top...

Mr knowitall.:
The Nigerian embassy in Atlanta is much worse...bad customer service..rude employees......I remembered calling the one in new york...after being on hold for like 20 minutes this lady picked up...and i asked her is this the Nigerian embassy....she was so rude she asked me where did i call?...before i could ask her a question...she hung up.....I just forgot about the money i already sent them...and went to the Ghanaian embassy instead.....it took me 5 minutes to get a visa......

Finally after seeing this your write up I am AUTHORITATIVELY calling you a liar.

Nigeria Consulate in Atlanta is bad? liar. You are fond of writing stuff on the pages of Nairaland just because you want to write. I have written about the Nigerian House in Atlanta before, and honestly if not for the fact that its says Nigerian. I would not believe that place is run by Nigerians.

My two dealings so far with them(Applied for visa on a Thursday my passport was in the mail Saturday/renewed my Nigerian passport for official purpose and 3 days later I received it) and both times I was there, it was less crowd, less noisy and honestly very well mannered staff.

You are the first I am seeing, ever complaining about them, and again this has led me to believe you have never been there and like your other write UPS wants to FEEL among by claiming something you have never experienced.

sweet_gala: Staff of every Nigerian embassy every where in the world are incompetent. They are over pampered civil servants what do you expect

True dat!
Nigerian Embassy staff, all over, are the worst form of "representation" Nigeria can put forward.

So, lazy, so incompetent, rude, corrupt ....and you can use every bad appellative you can find to describe them.

Some years back, my Passport was about to expire (and the Residency permit on it as well, though the residency permit letter still had about two years to elapse), so l called them that would they extend the "date on the Passport" since it still has a lot of unused pages or should l come for a new one all together?

The Lady suggested that l come for a new one (which l dont mind) but that the "process is booked-up for the next six months"!
I reminded the lady that l dont have six months (it will expire in two months time, which l thought was enough notice?) and maybe they should just endorse this one and we can then think about a new one in due course.

Embassy Lady insisted that l must apply for new one and it wont be available inthe next six months because their is "heavy cue" of six months!

I was so frustrated that l bought a return Ticket to Nigeria, and within Two weeks, l was back to my base with a New Passport!

But hey, dont blame them, l mean these embassy staff.
They are only where they are because maybe one "Oga-at-the Top" is sleeping with her (sexual favor) or as a political favor.
It has nadda to do with qualification and competence.
You cant give what you dont have, right?

Did l hear somebori mention 'Chema Chikwe' and OBJ in the same statement?
Maybe it was my imagination!

Lastpage!

I Learnt they were worse than this 2 yrs ago.
NIGERIAN HIGH COMISSION in ottawa, canada.

its mis-spelt,so dnt give a dog a bad name

AT MY LAST VISIT, THEY GOT TO OFFICE LATER THAN 9AM (THE RESUMPTION TIME)

A young lady, working at the consular section of Nigeriam Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, was quite professional and helpful last time I was there back in 2005. No unnecessary trouble made to the visitor (me), everything was done perfectly well. But then, Nigerian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, was a disgrace to this country. Paint peeling off the walls, chairs falling apart, hours of waiting for a simple question and even simpler answer etc...