The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that passports will now be issued within one week of enrolment, following comprehensive reforms in the processing system.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja during the ministry’s mid-term performance retreat.
“Our target is very clear: within one week of enrolment, every Nigerian should have their passport in hand — not just quickly, but with the quality and integrity that reflects us as a nation,” he said.
He noted that the new system was designed to end long delays and extortion that previously forced applicants to wait up to six months or pay as much as ₦200,000 to fast-track their applications.
“The system we inherited had a six-month backlog, which we cleared in just two and a half weeks. In the past, Nigerians waited endlessly or paid hundreds of thousands to secure passports. Even my own daughter, at just 12 years old, had to go through that ordeal. That era is over,” Tunji-Ojo declared.
The minister explained that the newly established centralised personalisation centre — the largest in Africa — now allows Nigeria to print five times more passports than required, ensuring faster vetting and stricter security.
He further announced that Passport Control Officers (PCOs) will no longer have the power to approve or delay passport applications, a measure aimed at curbing racketeering and abuse of office.
“Some PCOs had so much power that they could decide not to print a passport until they were settled. That abuse of power ends now. Approvals will now be centralised to eliminate human interference and corruption,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo also stressed that the reforms are not just about efficiency, but about safeguarding national identity.
“My responsibility is not just to make passports available, but to ensure only Nigerians carry them. If you are not a Nigerian, you cannot hold our passport. It is about our national integrity,” he added.
He cited past cases where foreigners illegally obtained Nigerian passports, including a Ugandan woman arrested at Lagos Airport after paying $1,000 to secure one, insisting that such incidents will no longer be tolerated.
“Our passport must remain a true symbol of Nigerian identity,” the minister concluded.
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