The Federal Government has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately withdraw and deactivate passports held by individuals who have formally renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
The directive was issued by Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, in a statement released on Saturday through his Special Adviser on Media, Alao Babatunde.
According to the statement, the order applies to Nigerians whose renunciation requests have been duly approved by the President, in line with provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the ministry’s action is backed by Section 29(1) and (2) of the Constitution, which outlines the legal process for renouncing Nigerian citizenship.
“Once the renunciation is registered and approved, the individual ceases to be a citizen of Nigeria. As such, they are no longer entitled to hold any sovereign document of the country, including a Nigerian passport,” he said.
He added that the directive is part of broader reforms in the country’s passport and visa system aimed at strengthening identity management and national security.
“This step is necessary to close existing gaps that allowed former citizens to continue using Nigerian passports even after their renunciation had been formally recognised,” the minister stated.
“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 added.
