Embassy of Nigeria

Unbelievable!
I got to the gate at 07:58 am. It was so cold I went to chill at the closest Starbucks. I walked back to the embassy at 8:41 am.
When we all started getting frantic, they opened the gate at 9:07 am. We sat in a room and started exchanges our funny embassy experiences.
By some minutes to 10 am, we were ushered by some man into the main area to collect our papers. I was the first on the queue.
The well-praised Obinna was the one who did my biometrics and he was a lovely person as everyone described. I told him I needed my passport earlier than usual and I could only pay their delivery fee with my card. He made sure everything was settled. It's interesting because I heard they don't help people make copies and all that. But they were helpful and even called out people who needed to make to go get it done in another office.
Anyhoo, I got back to my hotel room by 11:00 am and even got to go the national Portrait Gallery !
I am hoping for the day we have this experience back home!

I weep for my country, Nigeria. I desperately want to find something good to write about Nigeria, but I can't. I began my journey to renew my passport in December 2023. A group of officials came from Washington, DC, to Los Angeles, California, in December 2023. Their mission was to facilitate and assist with new passport registrations, renewals, and similar services as they usually do yearly. This is by no means a free service. Seven months have passed (and counting), and I am still awaiting any communication from the Nigerian consulate. Wow!!! I've been tracking my passport status for some time now, and today, I received a shocker. The status regressed from "Passport awaiting production" to "Application Received" (the same status I had four months ago). What happened in God's name? Somebody, anybody, talk to me.

I got an appointment date online for passport biometrics for June 12, 2024 at Washington DC. I arrived early on my appointment date only to see a notice ate the gate that says, its a public holiday. Did these people not know before making this date open that June 12 is a public holiday ? They take peoples hard earned money without a corresponding effort at service delivery. I have been calling the consulate since the failed trip and nobody is picking up. I sent them a message but nobody has replied till date.

So after reading the reviews, I was very nervous for my upcoming appointment because I was going to travel with my baby girl for her passport and the reviews talked about the long time spent on site.
I couldn't get an appointment time for soon as only next year was available but someone told me they accept walk ins so I tried it and I got there 9:30am and was done with everything by 10:30am. I was given priority cos of my baby.
Priorities are given to senior citizens (60 and older), special needs, kids, and pregnant women.
In all honesty, they were actually working fast and I don't think I saw the officials sitting idly doing nothing. The officials were very helpful like the woman at the desk, the man at the reception and a dude named Obi. They go with the appointment times but priorities would always be given no matter their own times.

I can say my experience was perfect, I have some reservations about the atmosphere but that's not the issue. My main issue is I was over charged; was supposed to be charged just $30 but got charged $130. I can't travel back there so I'm at a loss for that.

UPDATE: The passport came in less than a week. I was shocked cos I thought I would get it in like 2-3 months. Went to the embassy September 14th and got the passport September 20th.

Also I found out that the excess charge I had was actually to pay for walk in cos I came before my appointment date of 2024. So now I know they charge you $100 for early appointment.

Changing from 4 to 5 stars based on my own personal experience.

My actual experience getting my passport renewed was fine, but my rating is as low as it is because of the lack of communication. My passport expired right when Covid hit, so after I scheduled my appointment, I received no communication/updates as to how the embassy would handle rescheduling appointments for months.

It was impossible to reach them by phone, email, and I even showed up in person on my initial appointment date in case it was still scheduled, and the gentleman there checking the mail just said they were closed to try back the next day. It's baffling and unacceptable how difficult it is to get in touch.

That withstanding, I was able to reschedule my appointment 6 months later, and on my appointment date, everything went smoothly, quickly, and efficiently.

Tips for anyone who has an appointment for a passport renewal:

1. Print the Passport Application form to be completed online
2. Print the Payment confirmation Slip
3. Print Acknowledgment Slip
4. Print a copy of the data page of Nigerian Passport
5. Bring the expired Nigerian Passport
6. Bring two current passport-size photographs preferably with white background
7. Bring a prepaid express USPS envelope or $30 in cash to have the passport mailed back to you
8. The embassy actually opens at 10am. The earlier you get there, the less you'll have to wait your turn.

Have tried for DAYS to get ahold of someone in this embassy. All mailboxes are full so can't leave a message. I've called 14 numbers and emailed 5 of them without a response. I really have some questions about discrepancies on their website!!!!

If I can give 0 stars I will. By far the worst and most incompetent group of individuals you will come across. No sense of urgency. No communication. Terrible. Terrible. Terrible. Try them at your own risk. New York embassy works better. I went through OIS in LA, for visa approval. This embassy has held onto my passport for 8 weeks now. 8 weeks! As I am writing to you I do not have my passport back from them. Who knows when they will send back. This week I went back to OIS LA office to ask what's going on with my passport/visa as my flight to Nigeria is in 2 weeks. OIS informed me that for the past few weeks this embassy has ran out of material to complete visa's. What kind of nonsense is this!? So for the past few weeks no one has common sense to inform the passport holders? No common sense to reach out to the other embassy's for assistance? SMH. Now myself and many others dependent on these people for a trip home will not make our planned event and lost out on money. Can you imagine? Nonsense. If you know best for yourself I will avoid these people jor.

One of the worst set of uncoordinated individuals. Why do I need to repeat biometric capturing just to renew my passport even when I've had over four e-passports already. Flew several hours to an appointment you scheduled, only to be told it's worker's day in Nigeria hence you are closed. Okay why the hell did you schedule the appointment then? Bunch of *********

They don't answer phone calls, they don't answer to emails this is the worst embassy ever! I highly recommend New York, do not waste your time with this embassy they held my passport for 2 months because I couldn't reacg anyone.

No where online does it say that I have to show up to a complete different building to do my biometrics . Would of been nice to have been told this over the phone but no one answers ever. Long story short, I won't make my trip as they still have my passport.