Interior Minister Condemns Prolonged Delay In Passport Processing

By Ayodele Oni

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has expressed dissatisfaction with  delays encountered by applicants for passports at the various offices of the Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS).

The Minister made an unannounced visit to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport office in Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Tuesday, where he criticized officials, saying it is unacceptable the waste of applicants’ time through prolonged delays.

The Minister confronted staff over excessive waiting periods faced by citizens seeking passport services.

A viral video captured the moment the Minister was questioning officials about service delivery bottlenecks, highlighting his frustration with persistent delays despite previous directives for improvement.

Tunji-Ojo expressed strong disapproval, stating that such inefficiencies “don’t make sense” and amount to “wasting people’s time.”

He emphasized that government services must prioritize citizen convenience and efficiency, aligning with ongoing reforms in the passport issuance process.

The surprise tour enabled the Minister to directly observe operations, interact with workers, and assess challenges on the ground.

The visit comes amid the Ministry’s broader push for modernization, including the planned rollout of the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) in January 2026, upgrades to passport personalization centers capable of producing thousands of documents rapidly, and efforts to reduce processing times significantly—targets that include potential seven-day delivery for standard applications through centralized systems and automation.

Applicants at the facility welcomed the Minister’s intervention, with many expressing hope that such direct oversight would lead to faster resolutions and better service.

NIS officials have not yet issued a formal response to the Minister’s remarks, but the incident is expected to prompt immediate internal reviews and corrective measures.