Abuja — The Federal Government has ordered the immediate cancellation of Nigerian passports belonging to individuals who have officially given up their citizenship, in a move aimed at tightening identity control and preventing misuse of national travel documents.
The directive, approved under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was announced by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. He instructed the Nigeria Immigration Service to withdraw and deactivate such passports immediately once the renunciation process has been fully completed and approved.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his media aide, Alao Babatunde, the minister clarified that the directive applies only to individuals whose renunciation of Nigerian citizenship has been formally endorsed by the President, in accordance with the law.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the decision is backed by the provisions of 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, specifically Section 29, which outlines how citizens may renounce their nationality and the legal consequences that follow. Under the law, once a declaration of renunciation is registered by the President, the individual ceases to be recognised as a Nigerian citizen.
He stressed that losing citizenship automatically removes the right to hold a Nigerian passport or any official identification tied to nationality. “Once the process is completed, such individuals are no longer entitled to Nigerian travel documents,” the minister noted.
The government said the action is part of broader reforms to protect the credibility of Nigeria’s identity system. According to Tunji-Ojo, past lapses allowed some former citizens to continue using Nigerian passports even after legally renouncing their nationality.
He said the new directive is designed to close those gaps by ensuring that all records accurately reflect current citizenship status, thereby reducing the risk of identity fraud and document abuse.
The minister also linked the move to ongoing reforms within the immigration system, including improvements in passport issuance, stronger data verification processes, and alignment with global standards on border control and travel documentation.
He added that maintaining the integrity of Nigerian passports is essential for national security and for sustaining international confidence in Nigeria’s identity management system.
Tunji-Ojo further stated that the government will continue to deploy both policy measures and modern technology to strengthen border security, prevent identity-related offences, and support lawful travel.
He warned that anyone found holding or using a Nigerian passport after renouncing citizenship would be violating the law and would face appropriate sanctions.
Analysts say the directive highlights the government’s determination to enforce the legal consequences of citizenship decisions while ensuring that national identity documents reflect only valid and current legal status.
