In the last three years, Nigerians have had ample opportunity to assess the impact of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly through the Ministry of Interior led by the techpreneur, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. The focus has been on the digital transformation of public service delivery — replacing manual processes with technology-driven systems. The conversation has centered on the modernisation of government institutions: aligning them with contemporary global standards, reducing delays, duplication, and bureaucratic bottlenecks, automating processes to streamline routine operations, using digital platforms to improve service delivery and citizen engagement, and enhancing the quality, speed, and accessibility of public services. It has also been about institutional reform: restructuring systems and procedures for improved performance, advancing digital governance, operational excellence, and transparency and accountability. This includes creating digital records to reduce opportunities for fraud and increase oversight, using digital systems to support planning, monitoring, and decision-making, and strengthening security through technology — particularly in identity verification and border control.

Nigerians previously struggled under the weight of bureaucracy, manual operations, and paperwork, which caused familiar delays in obtaining passports, travelling in and out of the country, and accessing vital services such as fire service operations. However, bureaucratic simplification that has reduced unnecessary paperwork and administrative hurdles, coupled with a focus on building systems that are more reliable, scalable, and less dependent on manual intervention, and capacity building through technology adoption, have revealed the core message of the Tunji-Ojo leadership: that modern public services can improve a country’s attractiveness for investment, tourism, and business. He is laying a legacy of reform, including digital inclusion in governance and performance-oriented leadership. This is, crucially, the product of leadership foresight. The investment in reforms positions agencies under the Ministry of Interior to adapt to technological and societal changes and address systemic inefficiencies before they escalate. 

In an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today, the Interior minister gave an overview of key changes made to deliver on the ministry’s mandate — changes that have drawn widespread applause from Nigerians at home and abroad. Among others, he addressed passport reforms that saw over 200,000 passport applications cleared within weeks of assuming office in August 2023; the capacity boost that birthed the centralised passport personalisation centre in Abuja, which increased daily output from ∼300 to ∼5,000; and the contactless renewal framework launched in 2025 for Nigerians in the diaspora using biometric verification. He also spoke about the streamlined system to ensure nationwide uniformity in passport fees, and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex, which now consolidates passport personalisation and visa processing.

On border security and immigration, he highlighted the deployment of electronic gates with facial recognition and biometric clearance at Lagos MMIA and Abuja airports. At these airports, no contact with officers is needed: travellers simply “scan and go.” Other innovations include digital landing/exit cards, an electronic visa regime, an advanced passenger information system, and a Command & Control Centre with a 1.4-petabyte data facility. The Correctional Information Management System (CIMS) database holds 50M+ records for seaports and airports, with land borders being integrated. The objective is a shift from reactive to preventive security — “stopping problems before they happen.”

The minister also addressed correctional service reforms, anchored on the philosophy of moving from “mere detention to rehabilitation and reintegration.” This includes issues of dignity and welfare, with inmates being treated with dignity and given the opportunity to return to society as better individuals. There is also the prison decongestion project, through which the minister facilitated the payment of ₦585M in fines for 4,068 inmates to ease overcrowding. Other initiatives include a comprehensive biometric database for inmates integrated with NIMC for tracking and rehabilitation, and the rehabilitation of Kuje, Suleja, and other facilities to address overcrowding. He further explained the Centralised Interior Management and Administration System (CIMAS) as a national data hub for real-time processing, and the ministry’s shift from “reactive administration to proactive governance” across immigration, security, and corrections. This also includes border security automation to tackle illegal immigration and smuggling while adhering to ECOWAS protocols. Additionally, he noted the clearance of promotion backlogs in agencies and improved working conditions and welfare for personnel responsible for national security.

The minister’s core message is that the reforms are aligned with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The focus is on building “smarter, more secure, and service-oriented” systems, making passports accessible and affordable, securing borders effectively, and transforming correctional services.

He said: “Today, if you go to our airport in Lagos, the MMIA, we have the e-gates. If you go to Abuja, we have the e-gates. You don’t have to have any contact with any immigration officer harassing you and asking you questions unnecessarily. As long as you’re a citizen and you have your passport, just scan it, then you go. Government has a duty of care to its citizens. Even where freedom is restricted by law, we must ensure that those in our custody are treated with dignity and given the opportunity to return to society better than they came. We are building systems that are not just reactive, but proactive — systems that identify and address irregularities before they escalate.”

Indeed, agencies under the ministry, including the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Federal Fire Service, have rolled out innovations that have reshaped service delivery. The NIS, under Tunji-Ojo’s leadership, has received plaudits for its Passport Contactless Registration Mobile App, e-Gates, e-Visa, landing and exit cards, and e-CERPAC. It has been vigilant in eliminating threats to national security. Visitors to its Command, Control & Data Centre — 8.1 petabytes with a solar farm — which houses the Data Centre, Command and Control Centre, e-Gates, Visa Approval Centre (VAC), ECOWAS Card Centre, and Passport Personalisation Centre, have expressed deep appreciation for the extent of modernisation. An iAPI, an interactive API described as top-notch and among the best in the world, is now operational in Nigeria.

For instance, as analysts have noted, the NSCDC has transformed from an often-overlooked agency into a key player in Nigeria’s security architecture under President Tinubu’s administration, with reforms led by Tunji-Ojo and Commandant General Ahmed Abubakar Audi. The corps is increasingly relying on intelligence-driven strategies to dismantle criminal networks rather than simply reacting to crimes. Its focus includes crimes that undermine Nigeria’s economy: vandalism of critical infrastructure, illegal mining, illegal arms manufacturing, counterfeiting, and organised criminal networks. 

Recent operations have targeted both vandals and buyers of stolen electricity and telecommunications infrastructure, recognising that criminal markets sustain these offences. The investigation and sealing of companies allegedly involved in processing vandalised infrastructure signals a shift toward holding corporate actors accountable. The discovery of a local arms manufacturing factory in Yobe highlights efforts to curb the domestic supply of weapons fueling insecurity. Arrests of kidnapping suspects, including foreign nationals, underscore the need for stronger intelligence sharing and regional cooperation. The interception of fake US dollars also demonstrates the Corps’ efforts to combat financial crimes that support organised criminal activities. Mining Marshals continue to tackle illegal mining, recognizing its links to insecurity, environmental degradation, and revenue losses.

Operational achievements (January–June 2026): 138 illegal mining suspects arrested; 91 suspects charged to court across 12 cases; 133 mining sites raided.

The Federal Fire Service has also unveiled a reform agenda. Led by the Controller-General, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, the service’s core vision is to build a “technologically driven, highly professional, prevention-focused, and globally respected” Federal Fire Service. The goal: to protect lives, property, critical national assets, and the environment. There are four key pillars of reform. The first is infrastructure and training transformation, with emphasis on continuous training, discipline, integrity, and accountability. In this regard, the National Fire Academy in Sheda, Abuja, is nearing completion. Built to international standards, the academy boasts simulation centres, labs, and practical grounds for training in terrorism-related fires, aviation/industrial emergencies, and urban search and rescue. Other training institutions are to be repositioned for lifelong learning. As articulated by the minister, fire safety is also an economic imperative. The service has prioritized partnerships and capacity building, collaborating with NEMA, FRSC, Nigeria Police, Armed Forces, UN, World Bank, Afreximbank, ASR Africa, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, among others. In partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, 7,740 Community Fire Volunteers are to be trained annually — 200 per state and the FCT. The focus is also on infrastructure expansion, equipment acquisition, and operational improvements.

Guided by the principle that “the safest fire is the one that never occurs,” the service is organising campaigns such as National Fire Safety Week and the Harmattan Fire Safety Campaign, and conducting outreach in schools, markets, worship centres, NYSC camps, and communities. It is prioritising routine inspections, building audits, and enforcement, with a planned amendment to the FFS Act and the expansion of Fire Marshal and Fire Warden programmes. In recognition of this work, the Director-General of NigComSat praised the FFS for its quick response to a fire at the agency’s Abuja office. The service is also set to launch a new app to enable the public to send fire alerts, photos, and location to the command centre. Drones will be used for reconnaissance, GIS for risk mapping, and there will be digital dispatch systems and advanced rescue tools. The FFS plans to establish offices in every senatorial district, all LG headquarters, and all major markets to reduce response time. It is also recruiting 5,000 personnel for nationwide deployment.

Given the foregoing, it can be asserted without fear of contradiction that President Tinubu’s security strategy, articulated and implemented through the Ministry of Interior, rests on innovations designed to enable Nigeria and Nigerians to cope with evolving global challenges. While Nigeria still contends with border challenges related to the lack of border walls, a lot has been done to secure the country using technological frameworks. Nigerians can therefore look to the future with optimism.

Given the foregoing, it can be no wonder that President Tinubu himself has given Tunji-Ojo plaudits for the transformative work in the Interior Ministry that has earned Nigeria a positive global image. Speaking during a Federal Executive Council meeting, the President enthused: “I commend you for the tireless effort on renovation and rejigging the Ministry of Interior. What you have achieved on passport alone internationally has given this country a great reputation. This has started to give the nation a good image while also reducing the anger of Nigerians towards the system.” But the minister also credited the president, saying: “This project is a success today because of the vision, support and enabling environment created by the president. I am bold to say that credit for this project should be given to President Tinubu because nothing could have been achieved without his support, encouragement and visionary leadership.”

…Salako is the media consultant to Interior minister