Mark Twain, a legendary American writer, humorist and essayist, once opined: If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.
It means if you say the truth, you will die. And if you don’t say the truth, you will die. Hence, I am forced out of my cocoon of silence to pen this article.
Recent claims by the Nigerian media concerning the supposed efficiency and innovations brought into Nigeria immigration System (NIS) by Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, seems to be more of a carved-out-image than that of reality.
The truth, however, is that, Tunji-Ojo’s ministry has not introduced any new passport issuance innovation that has not been suggested, initiated and even implemented during previous administrations.
Contrary to the news being circulated, however, the ease and sudden passport issuance effectiveness witnessed by the applicants in Nigeria can be attributed to the decline in application for same by Nigerians.
This was greatly influenced by the recent clampdown on the high intake of immigrants by the United Kingdom (UK).
In recent years, one of the major causes of passport issuance delay was the “Japa Syndrome” that became heightened during the post-covid era.
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Between 2021 to 2023, millions of Nigerians actually focused on migrating from Nigeria in a bid to secure a better future for themselves and their families.
During the period, the demand for Nigerian passport applications overwhelmed Nigeria immigration agencies, just as it did the immigration authorities of foreign countries like the UK.
Interestingly, the UK’s visa processing office popularly known for taking just 48 hours in treating urgent applications needed 48 days to treat applications in some cases.
As the Nigerian government struggled to meet passport application demands at home, the UK government grappled with housing, primary and secondary education, and public services demands by migrants and their dependents.
For instance, in the Metropolitan City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, the monthly rent for a 3-bedroom house skyrocketed from an average of £500 to over £1000 at the height of the Japa period.
The fact that it later dropped to £850 when migration pressures decreased, showed that the Japa syndrome had inadvertently reduced due to other influences that were not necessarily Nigeria’s passport issuance efficiency.
The surge in visa applications indeed overwhelmed the system at some point, but it was never as a result of the failure of any minister.
As a matter of fact, the increase in demand was caused by a broken immigration system that had long existed before the Japa surge.
Also, since a ban was placed on foreign carers and masters students from bringing their loved ones to the UK, there has been a significant decline in the Japa syndrome rate that was once was on the increase.
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There is now also the natter of new minimum income requirement that was increased for those bringing dependents to the UK on family visas from £29,000 Pounds a year to £34,500.
The same is expected to rise to £38,700 by early 2025.
I ask, can an average Nigeria afford this?
Scratch that, how many high class Nigerians can place that huge amount down during the current economic meltdown that Nigeria currently grapples with?
To further ascertain this with data, according to the UK’s Home Office, visa applications through the health and education sectors have significantly dropped by 86 and 67 percent respectively.
In the same vein, data from the Home office shows that in August 2024, applications for health and care visas dropped from 18,300 in August 2023 to 2,300 in 2024.
Note the huge difference.
The applications for dependents also dropped by 73 percent in 2024.
So, where are the people applying for the passports? Why is Tunji-Ojo claiming passport issuance has improved since his resumption to office?
These changes are a result of Nigeria’s deteriorating economy and the tightening of immigration policies in the UK and other countries.
They are not the dividends of any internal reforms initiated by Nigeria’s interior minister.
The reality is that, fewer Nigerians now seek travel opportunities abroad.
The massive demand that characterised the Japa years has eased, and as a result, there is presently less pressure on the Nigerian Immigration Service.
This is not a policy victory but an ebb in demand. Tunji-Ojo did not solve any problem; the problem solved itself.
Only a fool will fall for mere publicity stunts when data on passport applications had indeed revealed a clear trend.
In 2023, and according to an official data from the Nigerian Immigration Service, approximately 1.1 million passport applications were processed.
According to a data published by the Daily Independent, 1.9 million passports were processed in 2022, indicating an 80 percent increase in demand. In contrast, only 200,000 passports were processed in the first half of 2024. This represents a decline from the peak years of Japa period.
This reduction in applications aligns with the trends seen in migration patterns.
The 42 percent reduction in passport applications in 2023 and almost 70 percent drop in 2024 had little to do with any efficiency brought into the system.
It was simply a reflection of the reduced demand in application for international migration opportunities. As the Nigerian economy worsened and the UK and other countries tightened immigration rules, fewer Nigerians sought passports for international travel, resulting in a natural decline in passport applications.
Another claim made by the minister’s image makers was his supposed initiation of the home delivery of passports. This claim falls flat when examined in context. It should not be news that the idea of home delivery of passports was actually initiated during the tenure of Rauf Aregbesola, Tunji-Ojo’s predecessor.
Aregbesola’s administration initiated several passport reforms, including the introduction of enhanced e-passports and the decentralisation of passport offices across the country. The groundwork for improved services, including the delivery of passports to applicants’ homes, was laid before Tunji-Ojo’s tenure.
In a news report by the Daily Trust in 2023, Aregebesola revealed the following:
“We are in the final stage of concluding negotiations with NIPOST to begin using its speed mail service to deliver passports to Nigerians wherever they are in the world after production.”
Attributing the recent positive development in passport processing to Tunji-Ojo’s exceptional leadership is disingenuous. The fact that the minister himself uses the development to promote his rather bland tenure is also a difficult pill to swallow.
Rather than create new solutions, the minister has been benefitting from the policies that are already in place. What has been done under his administration is mere continuity, not innovation.
While the minister’s administration may claim that the system has become more efficient, many Nigerians still face significant delays and frustrations in the United Kingdom.
For example, applicants in the UK who submitted their passport applications in August 2024 would have to wait till February 2025 for biometric capturing unless they are willing to pay $300 for fast-tracking their application.
This reeks of systemic fraud.
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These challenges reflect long-standing issues within the immigration system that no minister has successfully addressed, certainly not Tunji-Ojo.
The Nigerian passport processing system remains plagued with inefficiencies, delays, and corruption, despite contrary claims.
The facts paint a clear picture — Tunji-Ojo’s tenure as Nigeria’s Minister of Interior has not been defined by any significant reforms or innovations.
This can be seen in the increased number of jailbreaks that are often left unaddressed and criminals being on the loose afterwards.
Data and evidence bear witness that the reduced pressure on the passport system is a direct result of the natural decline in demand due to external factors and economic instability, not any internal policy shift.
His claims to have introduced home delivery for passports are false, and his supposed achievements in immigration reform are hollow.
Rather than continue to chase the illusion of success despite its non-existent, it is advisable for the minister to focus on tackling the current issues and leaving his mark.
Chasing clout and sponsored media programmes to paint a smooth tenure and good tenure is not ideal. It is time we move beyond the noise of influencers and image projection and hold our leaders accountable for real performance, not manufactured mediocrity.
Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye is a United Kingdom-based Strategic Communications Expert and Real Estate Broker. He can be reached via Maxwelladeleye@gmail.com.
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