Under the auspices of the Organization for the Advancement of Nigerians, or OAN, Nigerians in the United States have called on Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, to resolve the passport printer issue at the Nigerian Consulates in Atlanta and New York.
The OAN expressed dismay that the passport processing procedure in the aforementioned consulates has been characterized by inefficiency in a statement emailed to Vanguard yesterday and signed by its president, Olutomi Aregbesola.
He claims that Nigerians have suffered excessively as a result of the lack of passport printers in New York and Atlanta, leaving many of them trapped without legitimate passports.
For individuals who want to travel for employment, emergency, or other family obligations, this has become more challenging, he continued.The Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., now has two passport printers, one of which is inactive, the organization observed.
The former Minister of Interior allegedly voiced “unfounded concerns” that the decision to not send the idle printer to New York or Atlanta would incite dissatisfaction among the missions.
Aregbesola said, “This reasoning defies logic and reflects a lack of informed and strategic decision-making,” OAN stated, pointing out that this inaction has led to unnecessary travel expenses for immigration officers, security risks, and delays in service delivery.“The New York Consulate serves the largest jurisdiction. in the United States with a high concentration of Nigerians, yet it lacks a passport printer. OAN called this situation unacceptable in 2025.”