(Lagos, Saturday, 06/12/2025) The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) has reviewed the recent public notice issued by the Nigeria High Commission, London, announcing the December 2025 Passport Intervention Exercise for the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom. After a careful assessment of the published schedule, MPAC expresses profound concern that every venue selected for this national service is a church belonging to, affiliated with, or originally established by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) – including some venues where “RCCG” has been removed from the name, but the ownership and denominational identity remain unchanged.
In a religiously diverse nation such as Nigeria, and within a Nigerian diaspora community in the UK that includes large populations of Muslims, Christians of various denominations, and non-religious citizens, the choice of venues for a public service of national importance must never lean – directly or indirectly – towards religious exclusivity. The pattern reflected in this schedule is unmistakable, deeply troubling, and inconsistent with the constitutional and moral obligation of the Nigerian government to maintain religious neutrality in the administration of public services.
In the interest of clarity, the following are the exact venues published by the Nigeria High Commission for the intervention exercise:
Published Venues for Passport Intervention Exercise (United Kingdom – December 2025)
BIRMINGHAM (3–5 December 2025)
MANCHESTER (3–5 December 2025)
CARDIFF (8–10 December 2025)
GLASGOW (8 December 2025)
GLASGOW (9–10 December 2025)
SWANSEA (11–13 December 2025)
ABERDEEN (11–13 December 2025)
The consistency across these locations tells a story that cannot be explained away as coincidence or logistical inevitability. It presents a worrying trend where a Nigerian public institution operating abroad appears to align its outreach services with a single religious denomination. Even when names like “RCCG” are tactically removed – such as Open Heavens Glasgow – the underlying ownership and denominational identity remain the same.
This approach, whether deliberate or the result of poor judgement, is deeply insensitive to Muslims and other Nigerians in the UK who should never be placed in circumstances where they are required to enter a worship space of another faith in order to access a basic government service.
In the spirit of fairness, equity, and constitutional responsibility, MPAC calls on the Nigeria High Commission to immediately:
1. Review and replace the listed venues with neutral, non-religious locations such as council halls, civic centres, community centres, school halls, or other public-access facilities commonly used for diaspora events.
2. Adopt a transparent venue-selection policy that ensures balanced representation and prevents institutional bias.
3. Engage with a wider representation of Nigerian community structures in the UK, including Muslim organisations, neutral civic groups, and interfaith platforms.
4. Clarify to the Nigerian public why such homogeneity in venue choice occurred, and what measures will prevent recurrence.
Nigerians abroad already face enough challenges. Government services must not add to those burdens or send unintended messages of exclusion. When a High Commission selects venues exclusively tied to one religious denomination for a national service, it erodes trust, fuels suspicion, and undermines the very unity it claims to serve.
MPAC will continue to advocate for fairness, justice, and an inclusive public sphere where every Nigerian – Muslim, Christian, or otherwise – is served without fear, discomfort, or the sense of being treated as an afterthought.
Our expectation is simple and legitimate: national institutions must reflect the nation, not a denomination.
-The End-
Disu Kamor
Executive Chairman
Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria
kamor.disu@mpac-ng.org
www.mpac-ng.org
