The Minister of Interior, Olatunji Olubunmi-Ojo, has announced that Nigeria now operates a world-class centralised passport personalisation centre in Abuja, describing it as the country’s first such facility since 1963.
Speaking at the International Civil Service Conference 2026 in Abuja, the minister said the development marks a major transformation in passport production and public service delivery in Nigeria.
According to him, the new system has replaced the old fragmented and manual process with a more efficient, automated and centrally controlled operation capable of producing up to 10,000 passports per hour.
“For the first time since 1963, we have a world-class centralised personalisation centre in Abuja,” Olubunmi-Ojo said.
“And what that means is that from a system that could do 400 or 500 passports per hour across different locations, today we are in a position to produce nothing less than 10,000 passports per hour with a centralised level of control.”
The minister said the reform was introduced to address long-standing inefficiencies in passport issuance, including delays, duplication of processes and excessive human interference.
He recalled that the ministry inherited more than 200,000 pending passport applications when the current administration assumed office in 2023.
According to him, many Nigerians previously saw obtaining a passport as an almost impossible task despite making payments for the service.
“When we came aboard, we inherited over 200,000 backlogs of passports, and it was almost like a miracle for citizens to get passports they had already paid for,” he said.
Olubunmi-Ojo explained that the ministry responded by automating major parts of the process to improve efficiency and reduce unnecessary contact between applicants and officials.
“We automated the process. Let people speak to systems, not people speaking to people. When people interact with systems, efficiency is enhanced,” he added.
The minister disclosed that the ministry cleared about 270,000 passport backlogs accumulated over three years in less than three weeks.
He further revealed that over 3.6 million passports have been produced since the reforms began.
“We cleared 270,000 backlogs that had accumulated over about three years in less than three weeks, and today we have produced more than 3.6 million passports,” he said.
Olubunmi-Ojo described the reforms as part of a broader effort to modernise the Ministry of Interior and reposition public institutions for better service delivery.
He stressed that public service must focus on results rather than excuses, insisting that outdated methods can no longer meet the demands of modern governance.
“In the 21st century, business as usual has no place in public service. Nigerians did not place their trust in us to give excuses. What matters are results,” he stated.
The minister also said effective reforms can only happen when institutions properly understand the problems they are trying to solve.
“You must understand the problem before you can provide solutions,” he said.
Olubunmi-Ojo noted that the ministry is shifting from a process-centred approach to a citizen-focused system designed to improve the experience of Nigerians accessing government services.
According to him, innovation and technology are necessary to eliminate inefficiency and improve public confidence in government institutions.
“If the usual is what makes you comfortable, then you can never be outstanding or extraordinary,” he said.
He added that leadership should be defined by the ability to build better systems rather than simply managing inherited structures.
“Visionary leadership is not defined by authority or position, but by the capacity to imagine systems that function better than those inherited,” the minister stated.
Olubunmi-Ojo further stressed that while he would not blame himself for the state of the ministry he inherited in 2023, he would accept responsibility if he leaves the same challenges unresolved for his successor.
“I will never blame myself for the Ministry of Interior that I inherited in 2023, but the blame will be mine if I hand over the same problems to my successor,” he said.
He maintained that the new passport personalisation centre demonstrates that Nigeria no longer has to accept delays and inefficiency as normal in public service delivery.
“The era of waiting endlessly is gone. The system has been built to solve these problems,” he added.
