Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to immediately cancel passports belonging to individuals who have officially renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
The order, announced in Abuja, was disclosed through a statement issued by the minister’s media aide, Babatunde Alao, on Saturday.
According to the directive, the policy affects only those whose citizenship renunciation has been formally approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in line with constitutional provisions.
Tunji-Ojo referenced Section 29(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which states that a declaration of renunciation becomes valid only after it is registered by the President. Once approved, the individual is no longer recognized as a Nigerian citizen.
He emphasized that former citizens are not entitled to hold national identification or travel documents such as the Nigerian passport describing it as a sovereign asset reserved strictly for citizens.
The minister explained that the move is part of broader immigration reforms in Nigeria, aimed at strengthening border security, improving identity management, and reducing fraudulent use of travel documents.
“We are focused on ensuring that only qualified Nigerians have access to official travel documents,” Tunji-Ojo said, adding that the reforms are critical to national security.
The directive comes amid ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to modernize the passport system and tighten controls around citizenship documentation and migration policies
