What’s happening at the Nigerian Consulate in New York, USA

The Consulate General of Nigeria in New York, United States of America (USA) has taken a totally new turn for the better, if what was observed during a recent visit to the Nigeria House on 828 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10017, is anything to go by, and many are actually wondering, what’s going on?

The Consulate General in New York attends to the needs of Nigerians in the 20 states of the US that it covers, especially in the areas of passport and visa services, trade and investment facilitation, cultural outreach, welfare assistance and community engagement.

It’s jurisdiction spans parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and includes Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota and Nebraska. Other states covered by the Consulate General in New York are New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin.

All those who were there on the same day of this visit, at about the same time, and who had been there several years ago, were in agreement with the fact that major positive changes have taken place, starting from outside of the iconic high-rise building that houses the Consulate General.

A young lady on the team said that the last time she visited several years ago, the queue of people on the street, outside the building, who wanted to get in to transact one official business or the other, was so long that it snaked round the block.

On that day as was the practice daily then, Nigerians as well as some non-Nigerians were out in the cold, shoving and shouting at each other, and trying to get the attention of the indifferent, and sometimes hostile staff, some of who were trying to make the best of the sorry situation by soliciting.

She said she was so upset that she decided she was not coming back to the Consulate for anything after that experience. She said her decision was further reinforced when she managed to get into the Consulate General that day only to be confronted by the near chaos of more shouting and shoving and virtual bargaining for preferential treatment by the staff.

The story was that people at that time were made to cough out large sums of money for basic Consular services. Those who failed to “play ball” did not get attended to, including those who came from states far from New York and who needed to get back to their base same day.

It was, thus like a fairy tale for the young lady when at 9.30am, the time of her appointment, she came to Nigeria House and there was no queue whatsoever outside or inside the building. She walked straight into the reception with her party, met courteous staff who directed them to the waiting room.

Within minutes, they were directed to go to the second floor where their documents were cross checked. They sat down and within some minutes again, their numbers were called and they went for “capturing,” – fingerprinting and photographing.

Before they could say Jack Robinson, they were done and directed to enter their details and write an assessment of services they received. The column for appraisal by previous visitors all had “Good” or “Very Good” from people who were clearly all satisfied with the quality of services they received.

It unprecedentedly took approximately an hour from the time of entering the building to exiting, for the business of the young lady and her party to be completed by the courteous and efficient staff of the Consulate General, and they did not have to know anybody there or grease any palms as used to be the case.

The shocked young lady and her party left wondering what had happened to them or what was happening at the Consulate General. Someone volunteered that it must be the reforms put in place by the new Consul General, Ambassador Abubakar Jidda.

Another person said the reforms started with the immediate past Consul General, Ambassador Lot Egopija, while someone else said the Consul General before Egopija, Ambassador Ben Okoyen also played a part in the wave of reforms that have crystallized into the seamless process that now obtains.

Ambassador Jidda, who has continued the Town Hall meetings started by Ambassadors Okoyen and Egopija, has used every opportunity offered by the meetings to reassure Nigerians living within the area of coverage of the New York Consulate General that it is no longer business as usual at Nigeria House.

Indeed, he not only gives out his contact information and those of other Consular staff, but he also encourages anyone who has a concern to contact any of them, especially via the Consulate General’s Telephone number: (212) 808-0301 or Email: cgnny@nigeriaconsulatenewyork.org, and be sure that they would be promptly attended to.

The Consulate General’s website, which is, unlike in the past, now regularly updated, also has the email addresses of key officials of the Consulate General, including that of the Consul General, as well as information and answers to virtually all Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Ambassador Jidda also publicly tells all who attend the Town Hall meetings organized periodically to report to him directly any of the diplomatic, administrative or technical officers who demand money from them as bribe or inducement for any of the services offered by the Consulate General, unprecedented, indeed.

The consensus was that time will tell if this dramatic turnaround will be sustained, and the recommendation is that other Nigerian Consulates General in the US and elsewhere in the world, as well as other government establishments in Nigeria and beyond should borrow a leaf from the “revolution” that is presently taking place in Nigeria House, New York.