The Ministry of Interior has strengthened its partnership with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation to improve public communication on key government reforms and policies.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this while receiving the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo stressed that coordinated communication was essential for transparency and for keeping Nigerians properly informed about government programmes. He highlighted major reforms introduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, particularly in passport administration, border security, and identity management.
According to him, the Ministry cleared over 204,000 pending passport applications within two and a half weeks, introduced a contactless passport renewal system for Nigerians in the diaspora, and established the country’s first centralised passport personalisation centre in Abuja. Nigeria’s membership of the ICAO Public Key Directory now enables global verification of Nigerian passports, while the deployment of Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record systems has strengthened border control.
Other reforms include electronic immigration gates at major international airports, a digital visa system with a 48-hour processing timeline, and the expansion of the National Identity Management database to cover over 130 million Nigerians.
Tunji-Ojo noted that while significant progress has been made, improved public awareness is needed. He called for closer collaboration with the Information Ministry to ensure citizens are adequately informed about available services and ongoing reforms, and invited the Ministry to undertake inspection tours of key Interior facilities.
In his remarks, Idris commended the Interior Ministry for reforms across its agencies, describing developments within the Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Correctional Service, Federal Fire Service, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps as significant. He said better alignment of government communication would improve Nigeria’s international image, attract investment, and ensure the country’s progress is accurately represented globally.
Idris also announced that Nigeria will host the World Public Relations Forum later this year in partnership with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), an event expected to attract communication professionals worldwide. He called on the Interior Ministry to support the forum through visa facilitation and protocol arrangements.
Both Ministers agreed that the progress recorded in the last two and a half years demonstrates government’s commitment to institutional reforms and improved service delivery. They pledged to strengthen collaboration in strategic communication to effectively project Nigeria’s governance and development efforts.
Tunji-Ojo reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President and ensuring reforms translate into tangible benefits for Nigerians.
By Palma Ileye, Abuja
