Nigerians paying for new passport through the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) portal have been counting their losses since the online payment platform for applications developed technical difficulties.
The NIS recently confirmed that its online payment platform for passport applications is experiencing technical hitches.
The announcement came in the wake of numerous reports from Nigerians encountering issues while attempting to complete their passport applications through the service’s online portal.
In a statement titled “Technical Glitches with Online Payment Platform,” the NIS acknowledged the downtime and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused.
The NIS statement announcing the challenge had read: “Technical hitches with online payment platform. We apologise for the downtime being experienced with online applications on our Passport Service windows. The Service is assuring the public that within the shortest possible time, seamless service will be restored. All inconveniences this may have caused are highly regretted. Please bear with us.”
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But many Nigerians who have been having great difficulties making payment expressed their dissatisfaction with the system, and wondered why it is taking so long to be resolved.
According to Lagos-based fintech analyst, Epa Stevens, platforms like Interswitch and Remita have successfully supported the federal government in generating substantial revenue through the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
He added: “However, with the Nigerian Immigration Service’s transition to a new payment platform, we’ve witnessed a significant breakdown in the system. This failure disrupts essential services and raises concerns about the adequacy of the new platform to handle the demands of the TSA effectively.”
Michael Adigun, a New York based Nigerian, who needed to travel back to base said he has been trying to make payment for a new passport for several days without success.
“I kept getting error messages whenever I attempted to make payment. Nobody is telling us when the glitches, as they called it will be resolved. The delay has cost me over $50,000 due to the delay in my returning to my base,” he said.
Another Nigerian, Obinna Okafor, an importer, who needed to check goods being produced for him in China, said he is not yet certain when he will travel.
“My business partners in China are waiting for me. I have been able to make any confirmation, on when I would be travelling. I call on the NIS to look into the latter and provide alternative payment channel to ease the pains and losses of Nigerians,” he said.
London-based caregiver, Nany Abiodun, said she had lost key clients due to the delays caused by the payment glitches.
“Many of us do not have alternative passport to travel with. I have been waiting for nearly a week and this payment hitches are far from being resolved. I wish there are alternatives to get this problems behind many Nigerians who are paying high prices for payment platforms failure,” she lamented.
Abiodun further disclosed that the disruption has caused significant delays, frustrations, and complications for her and many other Nigerians trying to process their passport applications.
She called for a critical analysis of the platform responsible for handling payments to ascertain whether the glitches is indicative of a broader systemic failure or a lack of adequate capacity to meet demand.
She said: “We all need to hold the NIS and relevant authorities accountable for ensuring that the new payment system works effectively and meets public expectations. We as citizens of this country need to get value for our money. We deserve transparency, efficiency, and accountability in all government services, especially those as crucial as passport issuance”.
Other analysts said the disruption was dues to the introduction of a new payment system handling the Treasury Single Account (TSA) for the NIS.
While some Nigerians speculate that the payment glitch might be tied to a rumored increase in the cost of acquiring a passport, others are pointing fingers at the platform responsible for processing payments, questioning its capacity and reliability. Regardless of the cause, one thing is clear: Nigerians deserve better performance from such a crucial service.
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