“Welcome to the Most Corrupt Consulate in the World!”: Lone Nigerian Protests Nigeria Embassy in Pretoria Over Bribery and Mismanagement
Diaspora Citizen Stands Alone to Expose Corruption, Impunity, and Inefficiency at Nigerian Consulate
Pretoria, South Africa — September 5, 2025
A lone Nigerian citizen staged a striking protest outside the Nigerian Embassy in Pretoria on Thursday, holding handwritten signs that condemned widespread corruption and bureaucratic impunity in the passport renewal process. His messages read: “Welcome to the most corrupt consulate in the world. We are proudly corrupt,” and, “This is Nigeria Consulate where Bribery, Corruption, and Impunity rules.” Another poster bluntly stated the response people receive from the embassy: “We don’t have electricity to print your passport, but if you pay bribe we will have electricity to print it.”
The protester told onlookers and journalists that his demonstration was a last resort after repeated encounters with corrupt consulate officials. “People travel from different provinces to come here only to be told to pay bribes or turned away because of ‘power outages,'” he said, highlighting the systemic obstacles diaspora Nigerians face daily.
Advocacy groups for Nigerians abroad described the protest as a dramatic illustration of how corruption in foreign missions directly harms citizens’ access to essential services. Observers warn that continued negligence by consulate officials risks further alienating Nigerians overseas and may force more citizens into desperate measures to make their grievances visible.
