Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the immediate withdrawal and deactivation of passports held by individuals who have officially renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
The directive, announced in a statement by his media aide, applies to those whose renunciation has been formally approved by the President.
According to the minister, the move aligns with constitutional provisions governing citizenship. He cited Section 29 of the 1999 Constitution, which states that “(1) 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.
(2) 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 emphasized that once citizenship is renounced, individuals are no longer entitled to hold Nigerian sovereign documents, including passports.
He added that the decision is part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening identity management and border security.
“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 noted.
