Passports: That UK special intervention exercise

THE philosophy behind effective public administration is perhaps best captured in John Dewey’s observation that “a problem well put is half solved,” and Peter Drucker’s principle that “what gets measured gets managed.” That is the case with Nigeria’s passport issuance since the advent of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration. The past was marked, and actually marred, by ceaseless complaints about corruption, bureaucratic delays and bottlenecks, excessive paperwork, needless queues at NIS and other government facilities; elegies about failed expectations and stinging criticism of the government and its processes. There are still hiccups here and there, but the situation has significantly changed. Optimism is rife, and hope is no longer a luxury many cannot afford. With the automation of processes, there has been renewed efficiency in passport production, issuance, and delivery.

The facts speak for themselves: Nigerians have come to expect excellence wherever and whenever the Minister of Interior, Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, is involved. Nigerians in the UK, long used to the inefficiencies that dogged passport issuance, saw a completely different picture in Tunji-Ojo and urged him to ease their passport pains. Happily, in this specific instance, as in previous ones, the minister and his Renewed Hope team did not disappoint. They set a specific target and met it. The minister correctly pinned down the problem, but in public service, identifying a problem and measuring progress are only part of the task. As Winston Churchill reminds us, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal,” because what ultimately matters is the courage and capacity to respond, correct, and continue. Aristotle’s enduring insight that “excellence is not an act, but a habit” similarly suggests that meaningful governance is demonstrated through sustained improvement, not a single moment. The minister understands this and has been keen to show it.

As analysts have already pointed out, there was marked turbulence during the opening day of the UK passport intervention, but things soon calmed down. And the results came in: across the London and Manchester Intervention Centres, a total of 482 applicants were enrolled — 347 in Manchester and 135 in London. That brought the total enrolment since the beginning of the exercise to 3,190. Moreover, passport production and dispatch for previously enrolled applicants continue without hindrance. The atmosphere is beautiful, even terrific: applicants know that all they have to do is continue cooperating with officials. And, truth be told, that, precisely, is what they have done.

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Special Passport Intervention Exercise in the UK was created to bring passport services closer to Nigerians living in the UK, facilitate new applications and renewals, address pending cases, and reduce the cost, inconvenience, and logistical challenges of obtaining passports. Naturally, the exercise experienced technical difficulties at the Manchester Centre on its opening day, causing delays and criticism. However, within the first six operational days, 2,296 applicants were successfully enrolled — 1,709 in Manchester and 587 in London. Passport production and dispatch commenced in earnest, indicating that the exercise has moved beyond registration and biometric capture to actual passport delivery. Indeed, the surging demand caused the exercise to be extended from September 19 to October 3, 2026, giving more Nigerians additional time to access the service. That is actually a major goal. The initial confusion over administrative charges imposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was subsequently cleared up. This is important as it shows that the Bola Tinubu government intends to make the price as seamless as possible for Nigerians. The Ministry of Interior, on its part, will continue to partner with other ministries, departments and agencies of government to ensure that Nigerians receive value for their money. It is a solemn pledge.

The UK intervention builds on previous successes in Nigeria. As Nigerians are well aware, under the Renewed Hope leadership of Tunji-Ojo in the Ministry of Interior, Nigeria’s passport system has undergone several reforms, including the clearing of more than 200,000 inherited passport application backlogs, the rollout of automated online applications, and the introduction of contactless passport renewal for Nigerians in the diaspora. By July 2025, the government reported that more than 3.5 million passports had been issued since August 2023, while enhanced e-passport centres increased from 26 to 44 in Nigeria and from 5 to 47 overseas. A centralised passport personalisation centre was also introduced in 2025, raising stated production capacity from roughly 300 to 4,500–5,000 passports per day. In 2026, Nigeria further strengthened international verification of its e-passports by completing the integration of its certificate authorities into the ICAO Public Key Directory, facilitating verification at participating international border-control systems.

Under President Tinubu’s guidance, the minister will keep making Nigerians smile.

•Salako is media consultant to the Minister of Interior