NIS enrols 2,296 Nigerians in first week of UK passport intervention

By: Michael Mike

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has enrolled 2,296 applicants in the first six operational days of its Special Passport Intervention Exercise in the United Kingdom, with the Manchester Centre recording the higher number of enrolments.

The exercise, which commenced on September 7, 2026, recorded 1,709 applicants at the Manchester Centre and 587 at the London Centre, as Nigerians with confirmed appointments continued to turn out for passport services.

Daily enrolment figures across the two centres stood at 245 on September 7, 401 on September 8, 396 on September 9, 429 on September 10, 406 on September 11 and 419 on September 12.

The Service said the sustained turnout reflected steady progress in the processing of applicants with confirmed appointments, adding that passport production and dispatch for those already enrolled had commenced and were progressing steadily.

As part of efforts to ensure effective oversight and quality service delivery, the Comptroller-General of the NIS, Kemi Nanna Nandap, undertook working visits to the intervention centres in Manchester and London.

The visits, according to the Service, were aimed at assessing the exercise firsthand, engaging with members of the Nigerian community and ensuring that the intervention provided efficient, responsive and seamless passport services to applicants.

The NIS said the exercise would continue at both centres, assuring applicants with confirmed intervention appointments of service.

The Service said it appreciates members of the Nigerian community in the UK for their patience, understanding and cooperation, urging all applicants to continue working with officials on the ground to ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of the intervention.

NIS enrols 2,296 Nigerians in first week of UK passport intervention

China’s $2.3bn Nigerian Buy-Up: Beijing Opens Bigger Market for Abuja

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria may be on the verge of a major shift in its trade relationship with China as the Asian economic giant imported almost $2.3 billion worth of Nigerian goods in just six months, marking an almost 80 per cent increase over the same period in 2025.

The sharp rise, disclosed by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Zhou Hongyou,on Thursday in Abuja, comes as total trade between both countries surged by 75 per cent year-on-year to $18 billion.

The figures are significant for Nigeria, which has long struggled to translate its enormous agricultural, mineral and manufacturing potential into sustained export earnings.

Zhou, speaking at the Nigeria-China Food Festival at the China Cultural Centre, said Beijing’s zero-tariff policy for African countries with diplomatic relations with China presented Nigeria with an opportunity to dramatically expand its exports to the Chinese market.

“This is a great chance for Nigeria to expand exports to China,” the diplomat declared.

The statement effectively puts the spotlight on Nigeria’s ability to exploit preferential access to one of the world’s biggest consumer markets at a time when the Federal Government is under pressure to increase non-oil exports, generate foreign exchange and create jobs through expanded domestic production.

The nearly $2.3 billion already purchased by China from Nigeria in the first half of the year suggests that demand exists. The bigger question, however, is whether Nigerian producers can scale up production, meet international standards and consistently supply the Chinese market.

The latest development also gives fresh significance to efforts to diversify Nigeria’s trade beyond crude oil.

For decades, Nigeria’s export earnings have been heavily dependent on petroleum, while China has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most important trading partners. The latest figures indicate that the relationship is expanding beyond the traditional pattern of trade and could provide a platform for Nigerian agricultural products, processed foods, solid minerals and manufactured goods to gain wider access to China.

Zhou said the growing economic relationship was being matched by increasing cultural and people-to-people exchanges, noting that 2026 marks 55 years of formal diplomatic relations between Nigeria and China.

He urged both countries to deepen cooperation in education, culture, technology, the arts and youth affairs, arguing that stronger people-to-people ties would help sustain the bilateral relationship for future generations.

The Chinese envoy’s remarks came against the backdrop of the Nigeria-China Food Festival, where food was used to demonstrate the potential of cultural exchange and the economic value of Nigeria’s culinary heritage.

Representing the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, the Permanent Secretary, Abdulkarim Ibrahim, said Nigeria’s food industry represented a major economic opportunity, particularly through tourism, hospitality and job creation.

He said food and beverages constituted the largest subsector of Nigeria’s tourism economy and called for greater Nigeria-China collaboration in gastronomy, tourism, hospitality, culinary education and creative entrepreneurship.

The Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Aare Abisoye Fagade, said Nigeria’s diverse culinary traditions could be transformed into a globally competitive food-tourism industry if properly packaged, standardised and commercialised.

The event also demonstrated the potential of cultural diplomacy, with Nigerian and Chinese artistes combining traditional Nigerian drums with Chinese percussion instruments.

The National Troupe of Nigeria’s Director-General and Artistic Director/CEO, Hajia Kaltume Bulama Gana, said such collaborations could deepen mutual understanding and open opportunities for Nigerian artistes to perform in China.

Former NIHOTOUR Director-General, Alhaji Munzali Dantata, who studied in Beijing decades ago, also urged stronger cooperation, particularly in education and cultural exchanges.

But beyond the colourful displays of food, music and culture, yesterday’s event highlighted a far bigger economic proposition: Nigeria now has an expanding Chinese market, and the scale of future gains will depend largely on what the country can produce and export.

With Chinese imports from Nigeria already approaching $2.3 billion in six months and bilateral trade reaching $18 billion, the emerging challenge for Abuja is to ensure that the growth translates into more Nigerian-made products, stronger local industries, foreign-exchange earnings and jobs rather than merely higher volumes of trade.

For Nigeria, the opportunity presented by Beijing’s zero-tariff policy could therefore become a test of whether the country can finally convert its vast productive capacity into sustained export power.

China’s $2.3bn Nigerian Buy-Up: Beijing Opens Bigger Market for Abuja

Venezuela Solidarity Group Urges U.S. to Lift Sanctions After Deadly Earthquakes

By: Michael Mike

The Venezuela Solidarity Campaign in Nigeria (VSCN) has called for the immediate and unconditional lifting of United States sanctions on Venezuela, arguing that the restrictions are hampering humanitarian relief and reconstruction efforts following devastating twin earthquakes that reportedly killed more than 2,000 people and displaced over 50,000 others.

In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its coordinator, Comrade Dimeji Macaulay, the group expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Government, describing the earthquakes as a humanitarian tragedy that has left widespread destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, roads and other critical infrastructure.

The organisation extended condolences to families of the victims and praised what it described as the resilience of the Venezuelan people in confronting the disaster despite years of economic hardship.

According to the VSCN, the U.S. sanctions have weakened Venezuela’s capacity to respond effectively to the emergency by limiting access to financial resources and restricting the importation of medicines, equipment, technology and other essential materials.

The group maintained that maintaining the sanctions during a humanitarian crisis amounts to collective punishment against ordinary citizens and called for their permanent removal to facilitate relief operations and long-term reconstruction.

“There can be no moral or legal justification for maintaining an economic blockade against a country struggling to save lives and rebuild after a devastating natural disaster,” the statement said, adding that every day the sanctions remain in force prolongs the suffering of the Venezuelan people.

The campaign also urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to publicly support the removal of the sanctions, strengthen diplomatic relations with Venezuela and contribute to international humanitarian efforts for victims of the disaster.

It further appealed to the African Union to reject unilateral coercive measures, describing them as violations of international law, while calling on African countries to support Venezuela’s recovery.

The group equally called on the United Nations to intensify humanitarian assistance and ensure that sanctions do not obstruct emergency relief operations or reconstruction programmes.

Beyond governments and international organisations, the VSCN appealed to trade unions, youth organisations, civil society groups and progressive political movements across Africa and the wider international community to demonstrate solidarity with Venezuela by opposing what it described as economic warfare and supporting the country’s right to determine its future without external interference.

Reaffirming its commitment to the Venezuelan cause, the organisation said it would continue campaigning until the sanctions are lifted, insisting that Venezuela’s recovery should not be hindered by external political considerations

Venezuela Solidarity Group Urges U.S. to Lift Sanctions After Deadly Earthquakes