NIS now produces 10,000 passports per hour — FG

The Federal Government has announced that Nigeria now has the capacity to produce up to 10,000 passports per hour, following sweeping reforms and the establishment of a world-class centralised passport personalisation centre in Abuja.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this known on Wednesday while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference 2026 held in Abuja.

He further disclosed that the Ministry of Interior has produced more than 3.6 million passports since the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office.

The minister said the new facility represents a major milestone in the country’s passport administration system and marks the first time since 1963 that Nigeria has operated a centralised and highly automated passport personalisation centre.

According to him, the reform has transformed passport production from a slow and fragmented process into a modern system driven by automation, efficiency and centralised control.

“For the first time since 1963, we have a world-class centralised personalisation centre in Abuja,” Tunji-Ojo said.

“Today, we are in a position to do nothing less than 10,000 passports per hour with a centralised level of control.”

He explained that before the reforms, Nigeria could only produce between 400 and 500 passports per hour globally, while delays and inefficiencies made passport acquisition difficult for citizens.

The minister revealed that the administration inherited over 200,000 passport backlogs in 2023, describing the situation at the time as frustrating for applicants.

“When we came aboard, we inherited over 200,000 backlogs of passports, and it was like it was a miracle for you to get a passport you pay for,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo, however, noted that through automation and digital reforms, the ministry was able to clear 270,000 pending passport applications in less than three weeks.

“We automated the process. Let people speak to systems, not people speaking to people. When people speak to systems, it enhances efficiency,” he added.

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Speaking on the broader theme of the conference, “Reforms, Resilience and Results,” Tunji-Ojo stressed that excessive bureaucracy and outdated systems remain major obstacles to effective governance and public service delivery.

He argued that public institutions must embrace innovation and focus on measurable outcomes rather than excuses.

“In the 21st century, business as usual has no place in public service,” he said. “Nigerians didn’t invest their trust in us to proffer excuses. The only thing that counts and matters is results.”

The minister maintained that successful reforms must begin with a proper understanding of existing problems, warning that many government interventions fail because challenges are poorly diagnosed.

“You cannot solve a problem you do not understand,” he stated, while calling for data-driven governance and strategic reforms across public institutions.

Tunji-Ojo also urged public servants to move away from emotional attachment to outdated systems and embrace innovation as a tool for national development and improved service delivery.

He described the new passport production system as evidence that government institutions can achieve efficiency and regain public trust when technology and visionary leadership are effectively deployed.

“The era of waiting and bringing corn is gone,” he said, referring to the end of delays and informal bottlenecks in passport processing.

The conference attracted top government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, heads of agencies and private sector stakeholders, with discussions centred on strengthening governance and improving public sector performance in Nigeria.