The Embassy of any country is the first contact where any impression about such country can be created. If this is true, then the image of Nigeria is a terrible one in South Africa. The ministry of external affairs will do a good job to go and investigate the operations and the staff of our Embassy in South Africa (In disguise though). Let me just tell you one or two things that must not appear to be surprises to you:
1. An official staying on phone for minutes and then turning to clients - Nigerians especially and rudely saying "I'm done for the day, I don't have time for you! Sometimes these poor Nigerians, for whom the office is opened go as mean as kneeling down to beg these officials, but to no avail.
2. Dirty toilets, infact it goes as bad as not having tissue paper there. Recently, the directory papers were the 'perfect' replacement of the tissue paper in our embassy's toilet.
3. Officials yelling at clients that have been coming for the same reason for days and just sending them away.
This list could be unending if I would go on with it. The bottom line? The Embassy is a terrible picture of Nigeria. Can someone help tell the authorities in charge.

@poster. i feel you, i really do.
I was at the Nigeria High Commission in London and felt the same way too. I was there for the first time in April last year and what i saw was an eye sore. On getting to the embassy, the entrance was un-manned. There was no one to give directions as to where you should go and where you should not go. Other than that, there was a big pile of faeces just a few feet away from the door. Obviously, with no one to man the door and no security man in sight, someones dog must have poo'd by the door and the owner just left it there. Secondly, there was a pile of refuse waiting for collection just by the door too. This pile of refuse was still in the refuse bags and i can swear that there were about 20 bags waiting to be collected.

Well i got into the visa section and lo and behold, it was underground - meaning that there was not good ventilation inside the room. The walls were dirty, seats were not arranged properly, there was chaos everywhere. Crap. I was ashamed and upset. I vowed not to go there again unless i absolutely have to.

The reason i really felt very bad is that earlier on, i had been to the American, German and Italian and Thai embassy. These embassies were lovely and welcoming

@Epiphany

The problem with the embassy is nothing out of the ordinary, how is dog poo a government problem or a ministry of external affairs problem, how are unpacked gabage cars the problem of the government, how are these government problems - you said you went to the other embassies and you noticed the difference, dont you know how well behaved and well mannered those citizens are? it is the problem of the people, the Nigerians themselves, so unruly, I was at the same place you went, come and see how unruly these Nigerians were, rushing for their passports, never obeying instructions, etc - but these same Nigerians will go to these other embassies and behave very well, extremely well - so, whose problem is it? the government or the ill behaved Nigerians.

@labiyemmy:

@Epiphany

The problem with the embassy is nothing out of the ordinary, how is dog poo a government problem or a ministry of external affairs problem, how are unpacked gabage cars the problem of the government, how are these government problems - you said you went to the other embassies and you noticed the difference, dont you know how well behaved and well mannered those citizens are? it is the problem of the people, the Nigerians themselves, so unruly, I was at the same place you went, come and see how unruly these Nigerians were, rushing for their passports, never obeying instructions, etc - but these same Nigerians will go to these other embassies and behave very well, extremely well - so, whose problem is it? the government or the ill behaved Nigerians.

well said

@labiyemmy:

@Epiphany

The problem with the embassy is nothing out of the ordinary, how is dog poo a government problem or a ministry of external affairs problem, how are unpacked gabage cars the problem of the government, how are these government problems - you said you went to the other embassies and you noticed the difference, dont you know how well behaved and well mannered those citizens are? it is the problem of the people, the Nigerians themselves, so unruly, I was at the same place you went, come and see how unruly these Nigerians were, rushing for their passports, never obeying instructions, etc - but these same Nigerians will go to these other embassies and behave very well, extremely well - so, whose problem is it? the government or the ill behaved Nigerians.

O boy, i bow for you o. In fact, i am still laughing. I see your point sha! It is a pity, real pity. Our people are sooooo unruly!

Nigerian Embassies in the US are eyesores.

The one in NY. . . lawd-a-mercy Complains that their servers are always down, the computers are always frozen or they have virus, only one person can work the new epassport machine and she is running late. Oy!!

Atlanta Nko? Heaven Help us. . . complains about how no one ever knows anything in that place.

Washington is okay, looks like what an American Embassy in Timbuktu will be like.

Customer Service for all 3 is Shittiously Craptastic!!!!!

Wow!!!!

and we still maintain that we have a country? nah we dont.

Are you guys surprised? Please don't be - after all, palmwine is never different from its foam.
Charity begins at home.

@omobaba101 @Epiphany @Sisi Jinx
Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask ~~~~~~ savvy?

The problem with the embassy is nothing out of the ordinary, how is dog poo a government problem or a ministry of external affairs problem, how are unpacked gabage cars the problem of the government, how are these government problems - you said you went to the other embassies and you noticed the difference, dont you know how well behaved and well mannered those citizens are? it is the problem of the people, the Nigerians themselves, so unruly, I was at the same place you went, come and see how unruly these Nigerians were, rushing for their passports, never obeying instructions, etc - but these same Nigerians will go to these other embassies and behave very well, extremely well - so, whose problem is it? the government or the ill behaved Nigerians

@labiyemmy

I have been to the Nigerian embassy in London, the service-users were not unruly. We followed theinstructions given, took tallies,queued when directed to do so etc. The only unruly people were the staff., some even shouting at the customers. Whilst we waited patiently, I saw people who waltzed in after I came in, leave the embassy with their business done. I can only assume they had some 'connections' with the 'bosses upstairs'. We, the 'unconnected long-suffering citizens' had to wait the normal 'time-frame' to get our passports back.

What ever happened to the visa free agreement between S.A. and Nigeria?