President Bola Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in Rwanda to urgently resolve challenges affecting passport renewal and issuance for Nigerians living in the country.
The directive followed complaints from members of the Nigerian community in Rwanda who said they were unable to renew passports or obtain travel documents for newborn children due to the absence of a passport office at the Nigerian High Commission in Kigali.
Tinubu issued the instruction during an interactive meeting with Nigerians in Rwanda on the sidelines of a forum held in Kigali. The gathering included professionals, academics, business executives, and officials from international organisations.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, led by Abike Dabiri-Erewa Abike Dabiri-Erewa, presented concerns from the diaspora community, noting difficulties many Nigerians faced in accessing consular services.
Participants at the meeting said the situation had made documentation difficult for families, especially new parents, and called for a more accessible system for passport processing.
Tinubu assured Nigerians abroad that his administration was committed to improving governance and strengthening service delivery. He also encouraged unity among citizens, urging them to rise above ethnic differences.
He directed the Nigerian charge d’affaires in Rwanda, Ibrahim Zanna, to work with relevant agencies to fix the problem and improve embassy services.
The meeting, held in Kigali Kigali, also featured discussions on ways Nigerians in the diaspora can contribute more to national development.
Officials from the United Nations Population Fund United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Development Programme United Nations Development Programme also attended, alongside professionals and business leaders who pledged continued support for development initiatives linked to Nigeria.
The President reaffirmed that his government would continue engaging Nigerians abroad while pushing reforms aimed at improving public services.
