The Nigeria Immigration Service has said it processed 230 applicants on the first day of its special passport intervention exercise in the United Kingdom despite a brief technical disruption at the Manchester centre.

The Service said the technical downtime temporarily disrupted biometric capturing, particularly at the Manchester centre, but was promptly resolved, allowing the exercise to continue smoothly.

According to the NIS, 90 applicants were processed at the London centre, while 140 were processed in Manchester, bringing the total number of applicants attended to on the first day to 230.

The intervention exercise was introduced to assist Nigerians in the UK with pending, new and renewal passport applications, including those whose passports have less than one year remaining before expiry.

The development followed complaints from some Nigerians over delays and difficulties at the intervention centres, particularly in Manchester.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had expressed concern over the inconvenience experienced by applicants and said consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the challenges.

The NIS acknowledged applicants’ patience and understanding, reaffirming its commitment to providing efficient passport services to Nigerians in the UK.