The Nigerian federal government has successfully addressed a significant passport application backlog and settled a ₦28 billion debt associated with passport production, all without requiring additional budget allocations.
Under the leadership of Interior Minister Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) cleared approximately 60,000 pending passport applications within four days, following a directive to eliminate over 200,000 backlogged cases within two weeks .
This initiative also involved resolving a ₦16 billion debt owed to passport production vendors, which had previously caused shortages in e-passport booklets. The government managed to settle these obligations without seeking extra budgetary funds .
Minister Tunji-Ojo emphasized that this effort aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda,’ aiming to restore efficiency and credibility to the passport issuance process. The administration also plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to combat human trafficking and improve welfare for vulnerable groups, including veterans and correctional facility inmates .
This development marks a significant improvement in Nigeria’s passport processing system, offering relief to citizens who have faced prolonged delays in obtaining travel documents.
