The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Thursday hailed the reforms in the Nigeria passport system, saying it has totally eliminated delays in passport acquisition.
The Minister stated this during the Ministry’s Sectoral Performance Review Retreat held at Zuma Rock Resort, Suleja, Niger State.
Tunji-Ojo said the reforms in passports and visa acquisition in particular has enhanced quality passports delivery and put to rest unnecessary delays.
According to him, the reforms have also addressed the issues of security, investments and migration and data management in the country.
While expressing the Ministry’s commitment to delivering quality passports without unnecessary delays, he highlighted the need to maintain the integrity of our travelling documents.
The Minister emphasized the importance of digitalizing the passport issuance process to curb corruption, noting that minimizing human contact is essential to ensuring a trustworthy system.
“We realized that, especially in the diaspora, the same individual who enrolls applicants is the same person who vets, approves, and issues passports,
“This creates a single point of failure, as any compromise by that individual jeopardizes the entire process” he said.
According to him, all citizens, whether residing in Nigeria or abroad, should expect a streamlined renewal process similar to that offered by foreign embassies.
The Minister reassured that his primary duty is to ensure the satisfaction of Nigerian citizens by upholding the principle that only Nigerians should hold their passports.
While referencing the 96 passport personalization centres he inherited on assumption of office, he stated that the Ministry has not yet reached its ultimate goals, though substantial progress has been made.
“We may not be where we want to be yet, but we are certainly not where we were”, Tunji-Ojo said.