The Federal Government has assured Nigerians passports will now be issued within seven days.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the reforms restore efficiency, integrity, and dignity to travel documents.
The Federal Government has announced that Nigerian passports will now be issued within seven days of enrolment, following wide-ranging reforms in the process.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja during the ministry’s mid-term performance retreat. He emphasized that the reforms are not only focused on speed but also on restoring credibility to the country’s travel documents.
“Our clear objective is simple: every citizen who completes enrolment should receive their passport within a week,” the minister said. “This is about efficiency and about ensuring our passports reflect the dignity of Nigeria.”
He explained that the reforms were designed to end the long delays and corruption that previously forced applicants to wait several months or pay exorbitant fees. According to him, the government inherited a broken system that left a six-month backlog, which his team cleared in less than three weeks.
“In the past, people were waiting up to half a year or paying between ₦200,000 and ₦250,000 just to get a passport. Even my own daughter once faced the ordeal I had to part with hundreds of thousands to get her document processed. That kind of system is unacceptable, and we have put it behind us,” he recounted.
Tunji-Ojo said the centralized personalization facility in Abuja, the largest of its kind in Africa, now makes it possible to print more than five times the country’s current demand. “Once you complete enrolment, verification is done within 24 hours, and printing is no longer a challenge,” he assured.
He further disclosed that Passport Control Officers will no longer have authority over approvals, a move aimed at ending racketeering and abuse of power. “There were cases where some officers withheld passports until applicants paid them off. That era of manipulation has ended,” he declared.
The minister stressed that the reforms also strengthen national security by ensuring that only genuine citizens can hold Nigerian passports. He recalled cases where foreigners fraudulently acquired the document, including an incident where a Ugandan woman was caught at Lagos airport after allegedly buying one for $1,000.
“Our passport is not just a travel document; it represents the identity of Nigeria. We will not allow non-citizens to carry it. These measures are about restoring pride and integrity,” he concluded.
