The Information Attache at the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa said in a telephone interview that to obtain a national driver's licence of Nigeria, an individual must pass two driving tests- a practical driving test and written exam-administered by the Road Safety Commission (RSC) (10 Dec. 2003). If an individual successfully passes the two tests, he or she must complete an application form and pay a fee of approximately N2,500, the equivalent of CDN$24.24 (Oanda 10 Dec. 2003). The application form includes questions regarding the applicant's blood type, facial marks, height, use of glasses and date of birth; it also requires a set of the applicant's fingerprints (Nigerian High Commission 10 Dec. 2003). The tests and applications are standard throughout Nigeria and are conducted exclusively by the RSC, which is easily accessible since it maintains offices in all cities in the country (ibid.).

The photograph of the applicant, which is found on the driver's licence, is taken by the RSC at the time of application (ibid.). The Information Attache said that since only photographs taken by the RSC are valid, the applicant must apply for the driver's licence in person (ibid.). Once the application has been completed, applicants are provided with a receipt and the date on which they may return to obtain the licence (ibid.). In case an applicant is unable to pick up the licence personally, he or she may provide a letter authorizing someone else to obtain it on their behalf (ibid.).

Although it is possible for someone to renew their driver's licence by mail, the Information Attache said that it is not recommended since the postal system can be unreliable (ibid.). The licence renewal process involves updating, if necessary, the individual's personal information as well as the payment of an application fee (ibid.). According to the Information Attache, 99.9 per cent of renewals are completed in person (ibid.).

For additional information on the National Driver's Licence of Nigeria, please consult NGA41199.E of 19 February 2003.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Nigerian High Commission, Ottawa. 10 December 2003. Telephone interview with the Information Attache.

Oanda. 10 December 2003. "FXConverter - 164 Currency Converter Results." http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic [Accessed 10 Dec. 2003]