FG orders withdrawal of passports from citizens who renounce nationality

By Omeiza Ajayi

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

The directive targets Nigerians whose renunciation requests have been officially approved by the President, barring them from continuing to hold or use Nigerian travel documents following the completion of that process.

Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Interior, Alao Babatunde, said the minister grounded the policy in Section 29, subsections (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which provides that; “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 stated that once a person loses Nigerian citizenship, they are no longer entitled to carry any sovereign document of the state, including its passport.

The directive forms part of a broader set of passport and visa reforms the Ministry of Interior has pursued in recent years. The Minister framed the move as an effort to strengthen border security, curb 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.