REDEFINING PUBLIC SERVICE: HOW DR. OLUBUNMI TUNJI-OJO TRANSFORMED NIGERIA’S MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

Since assuming office as the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has spearheaded a comprehensive reform agenda that transformed administrative efficiency, internal security, and citizen engagement across Nigeria. Leveraging technology and operational restructuring, the ministry has systematically addressed long-standing bottlenecks in passport issuance, identity management, border protection, and penal administration.

​Revolutionizing Passport Services and Identity Management

​One of the earliest and most impactful breakthroughs under Dr. Tunji-Ojo’s leadership was the clearance of a chronic backlog of 204,332 passport applications alongside 50,000 new requests within just three weeks. To prevent future delays, the ministry introduced end-to-end digital passport automation, contactless biometric renewals via the NIS mobile app, and streamlined international application centers in Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria, and Switzerland.

​Beyond document issuance, the ministry successfully resolved a ₦28 billion legacy passport debt while issuing over 3.5 million passports. Simultaneously, administrative efficiency was applied to national identity management, resulting in the clearance of 2.5 million National Identification Number (NIN) modification backlogs.

​Modernizing Border Security, Airports, and Internal Defense

​To fortify national gateways, the ministry deployed over 40 electronic gates (eGates) across major international airports in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, and Port Harcourt. Border surveillance was further enhanced through the commissioning of 30 specialized operational patrol vehicles, the rollout of e-Visa systems, automated landing and exit cards, and a new digital platform for the Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permits and Automated Card (CERPAC) process.

​In the natural resources sector, the ministry established the specialized Mines Marshal unit to curb illegal mining operations and enforce national mining laws across the country. These operational capabilities are supported by a state-of-the-art Tier 4, 8.1-petabyte Command and Control Center powered by a 4.1MW solar battery farm.

​Human Rights, Correctional Reforms, and Paramilitary Welfare

​In a major humanitarian initiative, the ministry decongested overcrowded custodial facilities by securing the release of 4,068 indigent inmates nationwide. This was accomplished by raising ₦585 million through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnerships to clear unpaid court fines and compensations.

​The ministry also modernized emergency response by commissioning rapid-intervention firefighting vehicles, launching walkie-talkie communication networks, and remodeling the Federal Fire Service Academy in Abuja. Concurrently, workforce morale was restored across all paramilitary agencies under the ministry through the clearance of promotion backlogs and the advancement of over 50,000 officers.

​Through enhanced service delivery—spanning expatriate quota processing, citizenship registrations, marriage services, and place of worship accreditations—the ministry generated over ₦6 trillion in revenue in 2024, proving that transparency, technology, and fiscal productivity can coexist in public administration.