By Atoyebi Nike
Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that his administration has cleared a backlog of over 200,000 unprinted passports and settled N28 billion in debts inherited from past administrations.
Speaking at the Access Bank Guest Lecture Series in Lagos, the minister described the ministry’s previous operations as bogged down by inefficiency and bureaucracy. “We found a system plagued by silos. Our solution was innovation, not intervention,” he said.
Under his leadership, the ministry introduced key innovations including:
E-Visa Solutions reducing visitor processing time to under 48 hours.
Contactless Passport Renewals for Nigerians abroad via smartphone.
E-Gate Integration with INTERPOL and global security databases.
Advanced Passenger Information (API) to pre-screen travelers before arrival.
“All these were funded internally. Innovation paid for innovation,” Tunji-Ojo emphasized.
On correctional reforms, the minister revealed that over 4,000 inmates had been unjustly held for years over inability to pay minor fines of N50,000 to N100,000.
“These were not criminals, they were victims of a broken system. We worked with private partners to secure their release,” he stated.
Further efforts in correctional reform include:
Skills acquisition and psychological support for inmates.
Digital tracking of inmates and court cases.
A PPP framework to involve the private sector in correctional upgrades.
A shift from punitive detention to rehabilitative justice.
“A correctional facility must correct, not condemn. Justice should not punish poverty,” Tunji-Ojo added.
The minister reaffirmed that the interior ministry’s core role is “citizenship integrity” and its reforms aim to restore dignity and operational efficiency.
