Nigeria: Govt Orders Withdrawal of Passports From Nigerians Who Renounce Citizenship

12 April 2026
This Day (Lagos)
By Michael Olugbode

Abuja — The federal government has ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to immediately withdraw or deactivate Passports of persons who have renounced Nigerian citizenship.

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the directive on behalf of the federal government.

He said some people have renounced their citizenship but still carry their documents.

"This directive applies to Nigerians whose requests for renunciation have formally been approved by the president," the minister said.

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Tunji-Ojo maintained in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Alao Babatunde, that the Ministry of Interior, saddled with the responsibility of citizenship integrity, derived the power from the provisions of subsections (1) and (2) of Section 29 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He quoted the constitution as follows: "(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. Upon such registration, the person who made the declaration shall cease to be a citizen of Nigeria".

Tunji-Ojo added that once a person ceases to be a citizen of Nigeria, he can no longer carry any sovereign document of Nigeria, including the Nation's passport.

The minister noted that this move is consistent with the passport and visa reforms undertaken by the Ministry in recent years.

He noted that the move aligns with ongoing passport and visa reforms introduced by the Ministry of Interior, aimed at strengthening national security and improving identity management systems.

"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 minister said.

The directive is expected to enhance the credibility of Nigeria's travel documents and ensure that only eligible citizens enjoy the rights and privileges attached to Nigerian nationality.

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