Amid growing concerns about passport scarcity, the Federal Government has reassured the public that there is no reason for alarm, as it currently has over 80,000 passport booklets in reserve.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, addressed the issue while calming anxieties regarding passport renewals and new applications.
He emphasized that Nigerians living abroad will no longer need to travel between countries to access passport services.
“The days of wasting time, resources, and endangering lives on long trips are over,” the minister stated during a press briefing in Abuja.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo encouraged journalists to focus on the administration’s reformative policies, noting that many of the nation’s challenges were inherited by President Bola Tinubu’s government.
On the issue of the recent hike in passport fees, he explained that the price increase is necessary for cost recovery rather than exploitation.
“If the government were to subsidise anything, I don’t think it should be passports. The increase is just from N35,000 to N50,000—only about a 45 percent rise. There has been no increase for Nigerians abroad,” he clarified.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo highlighted several key reforms under his leadership, including the clearing of a backlog of 204,332 passport applications that had left many stranded.
He also introduced home delivery services for passports and deployed 41 e-gates at airports to facilitate smoother travel. Additionally, more than 53,000 officers received promotions within the past year, marking the highest number of promotions in the agency’s 38-year history.
The minister further pointed out that a new inclusivity policy has been introduced, featuring a 35 percent recruitment quota for women across all services, along with significant welfare improvements for officers. Group life insurance and pension benefits have also been secured to enhance their well-being.
Addressing national security, Dr. Tunji-Ojo revealed that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had made substantial progress over the past year.
The corps arrested 2,254 individuals involved in vandalism and oil bunkering, with 550 currently undergoing prosecution and 122 convictions already achieved.
“Additionally, the NSCDC has successfully disrupted organized crime networks by dismantling 150 illegal refineries and destroying 64 oil dumps,” the minister noted.
He expressed confidence that these actions have significantly weakened economic sabotage in the country.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo also outlined advancements in the private security sector. To date, 115 private security companies have been licensed, with 178 more in the process of obtaining licenses. The ministry has trained 3,394 security personnel, and the sector has generated ₦861.6 million in revenue.
In line with the government’s push for economic diversification, the minister announced the introduction of the **Mine Marshal Initiative**. This program, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Mines and Steel, aims to combat illegal mining activities and bolster national revenue.
The Interior Ministry has also made strides in the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), with notable projects completed at correctional facilities in Kano, Niger, and Lagos. Significant progress has been made in the Federal Fire Service, where efforts include remodeling the National Fire Academy in Sheda, Abuja, to create a state-of-the-art training and research facility.
In addition, the ministry has initiated steps to pass a new Fire Act to replace the outdated 1963 legislation, modernizing fire safety protocols.
In an effort to rehabilitate inmates, Dr. Tunji-Ojo announced a partnership with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). This initiative is part of a broader strategy to use sports as a tool for reform within custodial centers.
“We have also cemented a partnership with the Nigeria Football Federation aimed at rehabilitating inmates within our Custodial Centers through football, as part of our broader strategy to use the transformative power of sports to foster discipline, teamwork, and personal growth among inmates,” he said.
