The Federal Government has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to withdraw and deactivate passports issued to individuals who have formally renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the directive, stating that it applies strictly to persons whose renunciation requests have been duly approved and registered by the President. Such individuals, he said, are no longer entitled to retain or use Nigerian travel documents.
According to the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Alao Babatunde, the decision is anchored on Section 29 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which outlines the legal process for renouncing citizenship and affirms that individuals cease to be Nigerians upon the registration of such declarations.
Tunji-Ojo emphasised that the loss of citizenship automatically invalidates the right to possess any sovereign document of the Nigerian state, including passports.
The move, he added, is part of ongoing reforms in the passport and visa system aimed at strengthening national security and safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s identity framework.
“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,” the Minister stated.
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