Major Policy Shift: FG moves to revoke passports of those who renounce Nigerian citizenship

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The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to immediately withdraw and deactivate the passports of individuals who have officially renounced their Nigerian citizenship.

This directive specifically targets Nigerians whose requests for renunciation have been approved by the President, preventing them from holding or using Nigerian travel documents once the process is complete.

Alao Babatunde, the Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Interior, explained that the minister based the policy on Section 29, subsections (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which states: “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.

“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.”

Tunji-Ojo emphasized that once an individual loses Nigerian citizenship, they are no longer entitled to carry any sovereign document of the state, including its passport.

This directive is part of a broader set of passport and visa reforms the Ministry of Interior has been implementing in recent years. The Minister framed the move as an initiative to strengthen border security, combat identity fraud, and preserve the integrity of Nigerian citizenship.

“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 unauthorized or ineligible access,” he said.

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