‘Tunji-Ojo’s Reforms Yielding Results in Interior Ministry’
Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has been commended for implementing reforms aimed at strengthening public safety and homeland security under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Public affairs and policy analyst, Mr. Deyemi Saka, said this in an article he wrote about the initiatives introduced by the ministry in 2025.
He said they were beginning to deliver tangible results despite initial public skepticism.
Saka noted that one of the major achievements of the ministry was the conduct of a hitch-free recruitment exercise across paramilitary agencies under its supervision, describing it as transparent and free of the controversies and stampedes that had characterised past exercises.
He also said the minister oversaw the rehabilitation and upgrade of several correctional centres nationwide, improving facilities for both officers and inmates, including locker rooms and processing areas, which he said had enhanced safety and working conditions.
“Most Nigerians entered 2025 with palpable anxiety and uncertainty about the performance of the nation’s economy and institutions. This was largely due to the economic reforms embarked upon by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu–led administration.”
“In line with the policy thrust of the present administration under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the Ministry of Interior, under the leadership of Mr. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, initiated several reforms pivotal to strengthening public safety and national homeland security.
“As with most government reform efforts and policy pronouncements by public institutions, these initiatives were initially greeted with widespread skepticism and apprehension among Nigerians. It was at this point that purposeful, visionary, and results-driven leadership became crucial.
“Today, Nigerians irrespective of political affiliation, religion, or economic status are united in their verdict: the reforms are effective and delivering results. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo undoubtedly deserves the accolades he continues to receive.
“He is determined to give his best and leave a lasting legacy one that posterity will judge kindly. History remembers individuals not by their faces, but by their deeds, just as we remember figures like Shakespeare and Alexander the Great for their enduring impact.
“One of the earliest validations of the reforms in the Ministry of Interior under Olubunmi Tunji Ojo is the hitch-free recruitment exercise across the various paramilitary agencies under the ministry. For the first time in many years, the integrity of the recruitment process was not questioned. Equally noteworthy is the absence of stampedes and the tragic loss of lives that had, in the past, marred such exercises.
“In furtherance of his reform-driven leadership, the minister oversaw the rehabilitation and upgrade of several correctional centres across the country. Before these interventions, many facilities lacked decent locker rooms for correctional officers and proper processing areas for inmates. The makeshift facilities exposed officers to significant risks and hazards, which have now been largely eliminated through these upgrades.
To enhance effective communication within the Federal Fire Service particularly during emergency responses where they are often the first and sometimes the only responders the minister facilitated the procurement and large-scale distribution of two-way radios for the service.”
Saka further highlighted reforms in passport administration, noting that e-passport facilities had been established in selected Nigerian embassies in Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria and Switzerland to ease the burden faced by Nigerians in the diaspora in accessing passport services.
He added that the digitisation of the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Automated Card (CERPAC) process had improved documentation of expatriates in Nigeria and strengthened the country’s security database.
The analyst also said a monitoring and evaluation system had been introduced in the minister’s office to provide real-time information on activities at the nation’s entry points and immigration-related matters.
The Ministry of Interior oversees agencies including the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Correctional Service, Federal Fire Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
