The Federal Government has announced that Nigerian passports will now be delivered within one week of enrolment, following sweeping reforms in the issuance process.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja during the ministry’s mid-term performance retreat.

“Our target is clear: within one week of enrolment, every Nigerian should receive their passport. It’s not just about speed but also about delivering quality passports that uphold our national integrity,” he declared.

He explained that the reforms were introduced to end long delays and eliminate extortion, which in the past forced citizens to wait up to seven months or pay as much as ₦200,000 to fast-track processing.

The minister recalled his own experience: “Even when I was chairman of the House Committee on the NDDC, I had to pay hundreds of thousands of naira to get a passport for my 12-year-old daughter. That era is over.”

Tunji-Ojo said the new centralised personalisation centre — the largest in Africa — would allow faster processing and tighter security. “With this facility, we can print five times more passports than we currently need. Vetting takes less than 24 hours. Printing capacity is no longer a problem,” he noted.

He further announced that passport control officers would no longer have the power to approve or delay applications, citing their role in past racketeering and inefficiency.

“Some PCOs wielded so much power that they refused to release passports until they were settled. That abuse ends now. Approval will no longer rest with them,” he said.

The minister stressed that removing human interference would reduce corruption and restore integrity to Nigeria’s travel documents. He also cited cases where foreigners fraudulently acquired Nigerian passports, saying the new vetting system would prevent such abuse.

“Our passport must remain a true symbol of Nigerian identity. It’s about national integrity,” he concluded.