FG Clears 200,000 Passport Backlog, Pays N28bn Debt — Tunji-Ojo
The Federal Government has cleared over 200,000 unprocessed passport applications and settled N28bn in inherited debts, without additional funding from the national budget.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the Access Bank Guest Lecture Series held in Lagos on Monday.
Speaking on the topic “Dare to Dream, Dare to Innovate,” the Minister said the achievements reflect what is possible when leadership is guided by purpose, innovation, and strategic planning.
“Leadership is not about reacting to problems, it is about foreseeing and solving them before they occur,” Tunji-Ojo said, and stressed that every public servant must be driven by a clear sense of purpose and timely execution.
Since assuming office, the Minister has introduced a raft of reforms, including contactless passport renewals for Nigerians in the diaspora, an automated e-visa platform, and advanced passenger tracking technology. The efforts aimed at reducing bureaucracy and improving national security.
The Minister, beyond immigration, turned attention to Nigeria’s correctional facilities, which he described as being in dire condition. Over 4,000 inmates, he noted, are currently imprisoned for failing to pay fines as low as ₦50,000.
“This is not a legal crisis, it is a moral one. A society that punishes poverty more harshly than crime has lost its moral compass,” he said.
He said the ministry is collaborating with private donors to secure the release of many of these non-violent inmates and is also working on reforms that emphasise rehabilitation, not just incarceration, which include the introduction of digital case tracking, vocational skills training in prisons, and partnerships to enhance living conditions for inmates.
“A correctional facility must correct, not condemn. Justice without dignity is injustice in disguise,” Tunji-Ojo said.
Tunji-Ojo made emphasis on delivering results without requesting increased government expenditure.
“All these reforms were achieved without extra funding. What we needed was innovation and commitment,” he said.
Chairman of Access Holdings, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, commended the Minister’s performance and described it as a clear example of effective public service.
“Innovation is not about big budgets, it is about big thinking,” Aig-Imoukhuede said.
The event brought together top executives, public officials, and development experts as part of Access Bank’s effort to foster leadership conversations that can drive national transformation.
The Minister in his closing remark, urged Nigerians, particularly leaders in both public and private sectors to approach service with vision and discipline.
“Let Access Bank not just be a financial institution, let it be a philosophy. Let Nigeria not just be a country of potential, let it be a nation of performance,” he added.
FG Clears 200,000 Passport Backlog, Pays N28bn Debt — Tunji-Ojo is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
