If you're getting ready to leave your home and take a trip to Nigeria then you better make sure your passport hasn't expired or is about to expire. There's no worse feeling than getting to the front of the check-in line at the airport only to be denied admittance because your passport has expired.

Not only will you feel embarrassed but you'll also lose out on all that money you spent on your expensive plane ticket to Nigeria. No amount of time you spend pouting will make you feel better about your huge blunder. So, go check your passport expiration date right now. No, worries, we can wait.

If your passport doesn't expire anytime soon then you have nothing to worry about. If your passport has expired or will expire while you're away from your residence then it's time to renew your passport. Passport renewals and passport applications are pretty simple processes and are nothing to worry about.

For the most part you're just going to be providing the government information about yourself such as where you have lived for the past few years and all the different jobs you've held during that time span. The government asks for that information so they can verify that you are who you say you are on your passport.

So, if you've only lived in one residence for the past five years then that part will be pretty easy to fill out. If you've moved recently you better make sure you have the addresses for all the places you've lived in and know the exact length of stay for each place you lived.

When it comes to your employment history make sure you have the following information: where you worked, how long you worked there, and the addresses of each of your workplaces.

You're also going to need to have proof of your citizenship such as a copy of your birth certificate, a couple of references who aren't family members and provide two passport eligible photos. Once you get all that required information gathered you can then leave your home and drop off your passport at the nearest passport office. If everything goes well you'll receive your new passport in a couple of weeks and then you'll be ready to say hello to Nigeria in person!