FG Pledges One-Week Turnaround for Passport Issuance

The Federal Government has pledged that Nigerian passports will now be issued within one week of application, thanks to comprehensive reforms aimed at streamlining the process.

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made this announcement on Thursday during a mid-term performance review held in Abuja.

He emphasized the government’s goal of not only speeding up passport issuance but also improving its quality.

“Our objective is simple: every Nigerian should receive their passport within one week of enrolment. It’s not just about speed — it’s about delivering passports that reflect the dignity of our nation,” the minister said.

He explained that the revamped system is designed to eliminate the delays and corruption that once plagued the process — including situations where applicants had to wait up to seven months or pay bribes as high as ₦200,000 to expedite their requests.

Reflecting on personal experience, Tunji-Ojo said, “The system we inherited was deeply flawed. It had a six-month backlog, which we cleared in just two and a half weeks. Back then, it wasn’t unusual for a passport to take half a year to be processed, unless you paid ₦200,000 or more. Even my own daughter went through that. When I was Chairman of the House Committee on the NDDC, she needed a passport, and I had to pay hundreds of thousands for a 12-year-old just to get one. That era is behind us.”

According to the minister, a new centralised personalisation facility — the largest in Africa — will handle passport production, increasing output and enhancing security.

“With this centre, we can now print five times more passports than we currently require. Once enrolment is complete, it takes less than 24 hours to complete the vetting process. Printing capacity is no longer a challenge,” he added.

Tunji-Ojo also revealed a major change in the approval system. Passport Control Officers (PCOs) will no longer have the authority to approve or delay applications — a move meant to tackle corruption and inefficiency within the system.

“Previously, some PCOs held so much power that passports wouldn’t be processed unless they were ‘settled.’ That kind of abuse ends today,” he stated.

By removing that discretionary power from local officers and centralising approvals, the government hopes to eliminate delays, curb extortion, and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s travel documents.

“We found that reducing human involvement is the best way to fight corruption. Approval now rests with a central authority, not individual officers. My job isn’t to be popular — it’s to ensure the system works efficiently. Nigerians should be able to access services without frustration,” Tunji-Ojo said.

He stressed that passports must remain a secure and credible symbol of national identity, and that only legitimate Nigerian citizens should be able to obtain them.

“There have been cases where foreigners bought Nigerian passports. In one instance, a Ugandan woman was caught at Lagos airport with a Nigerian passport she purchased for $1,000. That stops now. Our passport must represent true Nigerian identity,” he concluded.