* Nigerian Abroad To Invest At Home
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has highlighted what he described as the far-reaching reforms recorded by the Federal Ministry of Interior under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging Nigerians in the Diaspora to channel investments towards the country’s socio-economic development.
Speaking at the ongoing Nigeria Diaspora Economic Conference in Toronto, Canada, with the theme, “Thrive Abroad, Invest in Nigeria,” Tunji-Ojo said the ministry had aligned fully with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by replacing excuses with practical solutions across its agencies. The session was attended by the Governor of Zamfara State and other dignitaries.
The minister said one of the administration’s major achievements was the complete harmonisation of Nigeria’s passport system into a single biometric passport scheme, noting that the era when Nigerians carried different passport standards had ended.
He said the reform has strengthened the credibility of the Nigerian passport and improved the country’s global identity, adding that the Nigeria Immigration Service now operates one of the largest public data centres in the country.
Tunji-Ojo also disclosed that the ministry had repositioned border management as an economic enabler by leveraging technology to facilitate trade and migration.
He said the introduction of the electronic visa (e-Visa) system now enables visitors to apply for Nigerian visas from anywhere in the world using their mobile phones, thereby improving ease of doing business and boosting investment opportunities.
On the protection of critical national assets, the minister said the government had significantly enhanced security around key infrastructure, particularly in the solid minerals and power sectors.
He noted that attacks and killings associated with illegal mining had reduced considerably, while specialised power rangers had been deployed to safeguard electricity infrastructure across the country.
The minister further stated that reforms within the Nigerian Correctional Service had transformed correctional centres from mere detention facilities into institutions focused on rehabilitation, restoration and reintegration.
He revealed that the country’s rate of recidivism dropped dramatically from 13,932 in 2023 to 1,106 in 2025, describing the development as evidence that the reforms were yielding tangible results.
“We were not appointed to give excuses but to provide solutions to problems,” Tunji-Ojo said, stressing that the ministry’s achievements reflected the Tinubu administration’s commitment to institutional reforms, improved service delivery and national security.
He called on Nigerians living abroad to take advantage of the ongoing reforms by investing in Nigeria’s economy, expressing confidence that improved governance, enhanced security and digital innovations across the Ministry of Interior would continue to create a more attractive environment for investment and sustainable national development.
