Towards maximising gains of reforms in Interior Ministry
By : Editorial Board
Appreciable reforms are underway in strategic agencies of the Federal Government, and there is no doubt about it. However, sustaining the tempo across the board to achieve efficiency in the parallel system through interagency collaboration and buy-in from frontline officers is more urgent than ever. The existing interagency disconnect is evident in the incessant, shameful, and undignified activities of some errant officers and accomplices who are still enjoying a full day at strategic national duty posts.
This calls for greater attention to the human element, arguably the biggest asset in development and the most important piece of the sustainable reform puzzle.
The human element in reforms cannot be ignored because of the role personnel play in the execution of reform ideals. While errant officers are often sanctioned, touting, begging and subtle forms of extortion at airports should not be the norm or the first experiences many passengers – citizens or foreigners – encounter. Today, international and local travel bloggers—such as Travel TomTom and Authentic Travelling—are increasingly showcasing Nigeria by moving past common media stereotypes. They highlight vibrant street food, rich cultural heritage, warm hospitality, and stunning landscapes.
As much as these bloggers try to showcase the positive side of the country, the everyday experience at the ports of entry can be better and should not negate the ideals of the government reforms. The airport has green and red sections for items to declare and items not to declare, respectively. The “nothing to declare” is where unscrupulous officers set up checkpoints. You must declare something! You’ll always find them – in uniform or mufti, either way poorly dressed – milling around and offering strange assistance to arriving or departing passengers. The goal is “anything for me?” a codename for begging, extortion and giving the country a bad impression.
Indeed, an airport ought to make a strong first impression of a country. The Ministry of Interior in the current administration has demonstrated strong fidelity to scaling up and giving a facelift to immigration services and sister agencies across the strata of society and the economy. The most notable impression of the Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo-led ministry over the past three years is that the same airports have become dens of unprofessionalism and sharp practices. Quite noticeable in border security and immigration is 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 ought to 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 50 million-plus 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”.
To complement that Passport Contactless Registration Mobile App, e-Gates, e-Visa, landing and exit cards, and e-CERPAC regime, the ministry has also initiated 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. It came with the streamlined system that ensured nationwide uniformity in passport fees, and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex, which now consolidates passport personalisation and visa processing.
Notwithstanding the milestones, the human element remains a drawback and is still a significant issue.
Officers need to be reoriented on the role they play in nation-branding. Notably, the unscrupulous officers are hewn from the larger society. The pressing economic realities notwithstanding, it shouldn’t be the norm for officers to always see their service station as a means of economic salvation via the exploitation of others. At the airport, security operatives such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) often look for loopholes to exploit passengers. They take advantage of ignorant and unsuspecting passengers by arbitrarily interpreting the law or deliberately delaying them until they “settle”. Most often, the Aviation Security (AVSEC) officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) work in cahoots with other agencies to perpetrate illicit activities and make a mockery of huge investments in border posts and security reforms. Inter-agency collaborations should be encouraged and promoted to ensure the goals of reforms are achieved.
At the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Tunji-Ojo has continued to advocate decongestion and penal reforms, but this is a task that cannot be achieved in a silo. Having secured the release of over 10,000 low-risk and indigent inmates by paying off minor court fines through partnerships and corporate social responsibility, his advocacy emphasises shifting the justice and correctional paradigm from punitive incarceration toward active rehabilitation. By successfully partnering with the Ministry of Justice and working with the NBA, Nigeria’s prison decongestion goal can be achieved. This is one area the minister needs to intensify campaigns and rally support for a better prison reform system.
The minister’s demonstration of zero tolerance for indiscipline, unprofessionalism, and corruption once again showed that officers can be held accountable and that this should be the standard of practice across the board in MDAs. It rests with the entire MDA leadership, not only the ministers, to force a command-and-control reset that cascades through the entire value chain, including downstream officers.
The concerted demonstration of zero compromise on the core values of integrity, transparency, and accountability across agencies will weed out the bad eggs and allow the noble seeds of reform to blossom into a professional, service-oriented country.
The name-and-shame cum the stick approach to correct malfeasance must be enhanced by improved welfare and conditions of service for the officers. It is on record that the interior ministry has done as much as possible to boost motivation, productivity, and efficiency within its immediate space. In the last three years, there has been massive career progression, ending prolonged career stagnation by ensuring timely annual promotion exercises for thousands of paramilitary personnel across immigration, correctional, and civil defence units. This resulted in over 100,000 paramilitary officers promoted within two years, while recruitment approvals were secured for 30,000 personnel, and a Paramilitary Pensions Board was established to address long-standing retirement anxieties. This should not be true only of the NIS, NCoS, NSCDC, and the Fire Service. It should be the experience of all MDAs across the entire spectrum of the economy, therefore collectively discouraging and erasing the moral basis for unprofessional conduct that tarnishes the national image.
