The Federal Government has ordered the withdrawal of Nigerian passports from individuals who have formally renounced their citizenship.
In a press release issued by the Ministry of Interior, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to “immediately withdraw and deactivate passports of Nigerians who have renounced their citizenship but still retain the documents.”
The directive, according to the statement, applies strictly to persons whose renunciation requests have been duly approved and registered by the President, in line with the provisions of Section 29 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Quoting the constitutional provision, the Minister noted: “(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.”
He stressed that the legal implications of such renunciation are clear and immediate. Once the process is completed, the individual loses all rights associated with Nigerian citizenship, including the right to possess national travel documents.
The Minister further noted that “once a person ceases to be a citizen of Nigeria, such an individual is no longer entitled to possess any sovereign document of the country, including the Nigerian passport.”
According to the statement, the directive is part of ongoing efforts to safeguard the credibility of Nigeria’s citizenship framework and prevent misuse of official documents.
The statement added that the move aligns with broader immigration and passport reforms introduced in recent years to enhance national security and streamline travel processes.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, the Minister stated: “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 development is expected to affect a category of Nigerians in the diaspora who, after acquiring a foreign nationality, had formally completed the legal process of renouncing their Nigerian citizenship but retained their passports.
The NIS is yet to announce modalities for implementing the directive, including timelines and procedures for retrieval or deactivation of affected passports.
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