Ministry Of Interior And Renewed Hope Innovations In The Last Three Years
By Femi Salako
In the last three years, Nigerians have had ample opportunity to assess the impact of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly through the Ministry of Interior led by the techpreneur, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. The focus has been on the digital transformation of public service delivery — replacing manual processes with technology-driven systems. The conversation has centered on the modernisation of government institutions: aligning them with contemporary global standards, reducing delays, duplication, and bureaucratic bottlenecks, automating processes to streamline routine operations, using digital platforms to improve service delivery and citizen engagement, and enhancing the quality, speed, and accessibility of public services. It has also been about institutional reform: restructuring systems and procedures for improved performance, advancing digital governance, operational excellence, and transparency and accountability. This includes creating digital records to reduce opportunities for fraud and increase oversight, using digital systems to support planning, monitoring, and decision-making, and strengthening security through technology — particularly in identity verification and border control.
Nigerians previously struggled under the weight of bureaucracy, manual operations, and paperwork, which caused familiar delays in obtaining passports, travelling in and out of the country, and accessing vital services such as fire service operations. However, bureaucratic simplification that has reduced unnecessary paperwork and administrative hurdles, coupled with a focus on building systems that are more reliable, scalable, and less dependent on manual intervention, and capacity building through technology adoption, have revealed the core message of the Tunji-Ojo leadership: that modern public services can improve a country’s attractiveness for investment, tourism, and business. He is laying a legacy of reform, including digital inclusion in governance and performance-oriented leadership. This is, crucially, the product of leadership foresight. The investment in reforms positions agencies under the Ministry of Interior to adapt to technological and societal changes and address systemic inefficiencies before they escalate.
In an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today, the Interior Minister gave an overview of key changes made to deliver on the ministry’s mandate — changes that have drawn widespread applause from Nigerians at home and abroad. Among others, he addressed passport reforms that saw over 200,000 passport applications cleared within weeks of assuming office in August 2023; the capacity boost that birthed the centralised passport personalisation centre in Abuja, which increased daily output from ∼300 to ∼5,000; and the contactless renewal framework launched in 2025 for Nigerians in the diaspora using biometric verification. He also spoke about the streamlined system to ensure nationwide uniformity in passport fees, and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex, which now consolidates passport personalisation and visa processing.
On border security and immigration, he highlighted the deployment of electronic gates with facial recognition and biometric clearance at Lagos MMIA and Abuja airports. At these airports, no contact with officers is needed: travellers simply “scan and go.” Other innovations include digital landing/exit cards, an electronic visa regime, an advanced passenger information system, and a Command & Control Centre with a 1.4-petabyte data facility. The Correctional Information Management System (CIMS) database holds 50M+ records for seaports and airports, with land borders being integrated. The objective is a shift from reactive to preventive security — “stopping problems before they happen.”
The minister also addressed correctional service reforms, anchored on the philosophy of moving from “mere detention to rehabilitation and reintegration.” This includes issues of dignity and welfare, with inmates being treated with dignity and given the opportunity to return to society as better individuals. There is also the prison decongestion project, through which the minister facilitated the payment of ₦585M in fines for 4,068 inmates to ease overcrowding. Other initiatives include a comprehensive biometric database for inmates integrated with NIMC for tracking and rehabilitation, and the rehabilitation of Kuje, Suleja, and other facilities to address overcrowding. He further explained the Centralized Interior Management and Administration System (CIMAS) as a national data hub for real-time processing, and the ministry’s shift from “reactive administration to proactive governance” across immigration, security, and corrections. This also includes border security automation to tackle illegal immigration and smuggling while adhering to ECOWAS protocols. Additionally, he noted the clearance of promotion backlogs in agencies and improved working conditions and welfare for personnel responsible for national security.
The minister’s core message is that the reforms are aligned with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The focus is on building “smarter, more secure, and service-oriented” systems, making passports accessible and affordable, securing borders effectively, and transforming correctional services.
In his words: “Today, if you go to our airport in Lagos, the MMIA, we have the e-gates. If you go to Abuja, we have the e-gates. You don’t have to have any contact with any immigration officer harassing you and asking you questions unnecessarily. As long as you’re a citizen and you have your passport, just scan it, then you go. Government has a duty of care to its citizens. Even where freedom is restricted by law, we must ensure that those in our custody are treated with dignity and given the opportunity to return to society better than they came. We are building systems that are not just reactive, but proactive — systems that identify and address irregularities before they escalate.”
– Salako, is a Media Consultant to the Minister of Interior
