Bunmi Tunji-Ojo Transforms Nigeria's Passport Processing

In late 2023, the Nigeria Immigration Service faced a backlog of 204,332 passport applications, causing significant disruptions for citizens. Under the leadership of Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Ministry of Interior cleared this backlog within approximately three weeks.

The ministry consolidated 96 decentralized personalization centers into a single centralized processing center, moved applications online, and introduced home and office delivery, effectively abolishing the queue system. This reform disrupted the revenue streams of those profiting from the previous system.

Tunji-Ojo, who previously ran an indigenous ICT firm, approached the ministry's challenges as data problems, implementing electronic visas, landing and exit cards, and a Migration Information Data Analysis System. Additionally, the Civil Defence Corps created Mining Marshals to police mining sites, resulting in over three hundred illegal operators arrested and more than a hundred prosecuted.

The Federal Fire Service improved response times and began remodelling its academy into a regional institution. Between 2023 and October 2024, approximately 64,000 officers were promoted through the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board.