FG ASSURES NIGERIANS: PASSPORTS TO BE DELIVERED WITHIN ONE WEEK UNDER NEW REFORMS

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The Federal Government has announced that Nigerian passports will now be delivered within one week of enrolment, following sweeping reforms in the issuance process aimed at eliminating delays, corruption, and racketeering.

Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja during the ministry’s mid-tenure performance retreat.

“Our target is very clear: within one week of enrolment, every Nigerian should have their passport in hand. Not just delivering quickly, but delivering quality passports that reflect our integrity as a nation,” he said.

The minister explained that the reforms were introduced to end the inefficiencies that once forced applicants to wait six to seven months or pay between N200,000 and N250,000 to fast-track the process. He cited his own experience, revealing that he once had to pay hundreds of thousands of naira to secure a passport for his 12-year-old daughter.

“That era is over,” Tunji-Ojo declared.

He disclosed that a centralised personalisation centre the largest in Africa now ensures faster processing and tighter security, with a capacity to print five times more passports than currently required.

“Once you enrol, it doesn’t take more than 24 hours to vet. Printing capacity is no longer our problem,” he stated.

As part of the reforms, Passport Control Officers (PCOs) will no longer have the authority to approve or delay applications. The minister said investigations revealed that some officers exploited the system by withholding approvals until they were bribed.

“Some PCOs had so much power that they could decide not to approve or not to print a passport until they were settled. That abuse of power ends now,” Tunji-Ojo said, adding that approvals have now been centralised to cut out corruption and limit human interference.

He stressed that the reforms are not only about speed but also about safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s travel documents.

“My responsibility is not just to make passports available, but to ensure that anybody carrying it is truly Nigerian. If you are not a Nigerian, you cannot carry it. It’s about our national integrity,” he said.

The minister also cited past cases where foreigners illegally procured Nigerian passports, including a Ugandan woman arrested at Lagos Airport after buying one for $1,000.

“That cannot continue. Our passport must remain a true symbol of Nigerian identity,” he added.