Passport Services Resume in the US for Nigeria after Internet Connectivity Issue

The notice indicated a rescheduling of biometric capture appointments from Monday, November 13 to Thursday, November 16, to be held now from Monday, November 20, to Wednesday, November 22, 2023. Affected applicants were instructed to visit the Embassy on any of the rescheduled days.

The change in schedule was attributed to an internet outage experienced at the Embassy, with an apology for any inconvenience caused.

A source at the Embassy confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria in New York that the problem had been resolved over the weekend. They stated, “The system is back over the weekend. The experts worked tirelessly to resolve it, and we are back.”

Regarding the cause of the issue, the source explained, “The problem was internet-related, not a server issue. Since the server is connected to the Embassy internet, anything that happens to the internet disconnects the other centres as well.”

The experts in Nigeria collaborated with local ICT experts in the Embassy to rectify the problem.

Notably, Nigeria has three Missions in the United States: the Consulates-General of Nigeria in New York and Atlanta, and the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington DC. The Embassy in Washington DC serves as the sole passport production centre in the U.S., while the consulates gather biometrics from their Missions and forward them to Washington DC for passport production.

Prior to the resolution, the Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians and its 20 partner organizations in New York had urged the Federal Government to provide passport production machines for Missions in Atlanta and New York. They highlighted the disparity in passport printing machines, with two located in Washington and none in New York or Atlanta.

The New York Jurisdiction encompasses 20 states, and it processes the largest number of applicants from across the United States.

(NAN)