The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately withdraw and deactivate passports belonging to individuals who have officially renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media, Alao Babatunde, and applies to Nigerians whose renunciation requests have been formally approved by the President.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the ministry, which is responsible for maintaining the integrity of citizenship, derives its authority from Section 29(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The statement quoted the constitutional provision as stating: “(1)Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.
“(2)The President shall cause the declaration made under subsection (1) of this section to be registered and upon such registration, the person who made the declaration shall cease to be a citizen of Nigeria.”
According to the minister, once an individual ceases to be a Nigerian citizen, they are no longer entitled to hold any official national document, including a Nigerian passport.
He described the directive as part of broader reforms in passport and visa administration carried out by the ministry in recent years.
Tunji-Ojo noted that the action is intended to close an existing loophole that previously allowed former citizens to continue using Nigerian passports even after their renunciation had been officially approved.
“We will continue to strengthen systems that secure Nigeria’s borders, prevent identity fraud, preserve the sanctity of Nigerian citizenship, and facilitate legitimate travel while preventing unauthorised or ineligible access,” he said.
What you should know
The Federal Government has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to withdraw and deactivate passports of individuals who have officially renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the move is backed by the Constitution and aims to prevent former citizens from retaining Nigerian travel documents.
The directive targets those whose renunciation has been approved by the President. It is part of broader reforms to strengthen border security, prevent identity fraud, and ensure only eligible individuals hold Nigerian passports.
The policy closes a loophole that previously allowed ex-citizens to continue using Nigerian passports after renouncing citizenship.
