The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that the Federal Government has cleared over 200,000 unprocessed passport applications and settled ₦28 billion in debts, all achieved without receiving additional funds from the national budget.
According to The PUNCH, Tunji-Ojo revealed that strategic innovation and deployment of technology were key to these milestones. The lecture, themed “Dare to Dream, Dare to Innovate”, attracted top government officials, business leaders, and technocrats from across Nigeria.
“True leadership is not reactive; it is proactive. It’s about anticipating problems and solving them before they escalate,” Tunji-Ojo said. “You must ask yourself three things: What is your purpose? How will you achieve it? And when is the right time to act?”
Highlighting the reforms under his watch, the minister stated that systems such as the e-visa platform, contactless passport renewal for Nigerians abroad, and improved passenger tracking technologies have been introduced to streamline immigration services and eliminate bottlenecks.
On prison reforms, Tunji-Ojo lamented the deplorable state of correctional facilities, revealing that more than 4,000 inmates remain incarcerated simply because they cannot afford fines as low as ₦50,000.
“This is not a legal crisis; it’s a moral one,” he said. “We are failing when poverty is punished more severely than crime. A correctional facility should rehabilitate, not just imprison.”
He noted that his ministry is collaborating with private sector donors to secure the release of non-violent offenders and is investing in digital case tracking and vocational training for inmates to foster rehabilitation.
“Justice that strips people of dignity is not justice—it’s injustice in disguise,” he added.
Chairman of Access Holdings, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, commended the minister’s bold approach. “Innovation isn’t about throwing money at problems; it’s about fresh thinking. What we see here is the kind of leadership that moves a nation forward.”
The event is part of Access Bank’s ongoing initiative to stimulate national discourse around transformational leadership and public service.
In closing, Tunji-Ojo called on Nigerians to embrace purpose-driven living and aim for excellence.
“Let Access Bank stand as more than a financial institution—let it be a philosophy. Let Nigeria evolve from a nation of promises to a nation of performance. It’s time we refine our genius, not just export it,” he said.