Nigerians living in the United Kingdom have praised the Federal Government over reforms in the country’s passport application process, saying the introduction of the contactless renewal system has dramatically cut waiting times from several months to as few as five days.

Speaking from different cities across the UK, diaspora Nigerians described the new system as a significant departure from what they called years of frustrating delays, long-distance travel, and bureaucratic bottlenecks that once defined the passport renewal experience abroad.

Timileyin Gbenga, a Nigerian community figure based in Birmingham, said he experienced both systems firsthand and the contrast was stark.

Gbenga attributed the transformation to the leadership of the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Similarly, Gbenga Ogunderu, a Coventry-based Nigerian, described the experience as emblematic of a broader digital shift.

Ogunderu called the development a sign that Nigeria was beginning to compete with more technologically advanced nations.

A senior lecturer in artificial intelligence and data analytics at Coventry University, who doubles as the president of Nigerians living in the city of Coventry, Dr. Adekunle Shonola, said the change represented a measurable leap in efficiency.

Shonola, who holds dual Nigerian and British citizenship, noted that the ease with which he once obtained his British passport digitally was now mirrored in the Nigerian system.

An automation engineer with Royal Mail and a management staff member of the Nigerian community in Coventry, Rufus Idowu, said some members had received their passports in as little as five days.