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Ministry of Interior generated over N6.2 bn revenue last year, says Minister

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Ministry of Interior generated over N6.2 bn revenue last year, says Minister


…1,836,533 Passports Issued, 828 foreigners repatriated, 137 victims of trafficking intercepted

By: Michael Mike

Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has revealed that his ministry was able to contribute over N6 billion into the nation’s revenue during the 2024 fiscal year.

The minister made this disclosure during a media chat on the achievements of his minister during last year.

Tunji-Ojo who specifically gave N6,034,457,000 as the total revenue made with expatriate quota alone accruing about N3,220,035,000, marriages contributed N2,409,282,000 billion; citizenship and places of worship had N392,790,000 billion and N12,350,000 million respectively.

He noted that the increase was over 150 per cent from the previous year.

He acknowledged that the blockage and stoppage of revenue leakages through automation of processes was responsible for the lift, adding that now foreign applicants who applied for Nigerian citizenship are genuinely scrutinised before being granted their application.

He said: “The ministry inaugurated Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Champions/Reform Team who have successfully worked with Ease of Doing Business Secretariat (EBES) to harmonise and update records on the National Action Plan (NAP 7.0) reform initiatives which include: enforce service level agreement (SLA) for business permit application; enforce timeline for business permit application; enforce SLA timeline for expatriate quota (EQ) applications; enforce timeline for EQ applications.”

He added that the ministry has
commenced full operations in the newly-established Federal Marriage Registries in the following states: Jalingo, Taraba State; Akure, Ondo State; Ibadan, Oyo State; Makurdi, Benue State; Asaba, Delta State and Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The minister said the ministry is currently implementing the Performance Management System (PMS) which is one of the six pillars of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP2021-2025)—–a strategy that drives the first medium term plan, 2021-2025 of the Nigeria Agenda 2050 holistic reforms of the civil service.

“The PMS is a framework used to evaluate, manage and improve the employee performance in alignment with the National Service and mandate while innovating means and measures to achieving ministry’s mandate also” he explained.

The agencies under the Ministry of interior include, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Fire Service (NFS), Nigeria Immigration Service and National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) were involved in restructuring with
about 8,283 men and officers recruited into the NIS and the NSCDC in 2023, while 2,500 officers were recruited into the FFS in 2024.

The Minister said: “A key part of the ministry that has to do with the public is the department we call C and B. That is, Citizenship and Business. One of the first things we realised about the department is that the revenue generated wasn’t up to what is expected. So, the first thing we have to do is to create a process of optimising and automising it.”

The minister revealed that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has issued 1,836,533 passports and repatriated 828 foreigners between January and December 2024.

Tunji-Ojo nited that other achievements recorded in the same period included the clearance of a backlog of over 200,000 passport application within three weeks in year 2024

“Then, of course, combating irregular migration is a major issue. In the last one year, 137 victims of trafficking were intercepted in 2024 and 42 objects of struggling, of migrants were also intercepted.

“828 foreigners were repatriated in 2024 by the Nigerian Immigration Service.

“Of course, when we came on board, we met a backlog of over 200,000 passports, you know, and in record time, in less than three weeks, we were able to clear that.

“In 2024, the Nigeria Immigration Service also issued 1,836,533,”he said.

In the realm of border security, the minister announced the completion of the first phase of the e-border solution, covering 40 per cent of the nation’s borders.

Tunji-Ojo said that secured borders ensure a safe nation adding that newly acquired vehicles and e-gates have been deployed to improve border management.

He also spoke about innovations in visa processing, including the establishment of a Visa Approval Center in Abuja and the integration of Interpol’s database for profiling applicants.

“This ensures only eligible individuals gain entry into Nigeria while strengthening national security,” he said.

The minister also spoke about reforms in granting Nigerian citizenship, which now involved a rigorous verification process in collaboration with security agencies.

“Becoming a Nigerian citizen today is a more transparent and technology-driven process. This ensures integrity without creating unnecessary bureaucracy,” he maintained..

Looking ahead, Tunji-Ojo pledged continued reforms, including improving operational efficiency and leveraging technology to meet national security and administrative goals.

“We are not yet where we want to be, but progress has been made, and we remain committed to delivering better services to Nigerians.

Tunji-Ojo said that the President, Bola Tinubu’s vision of a secure, innovative, and efficient system was being realised through these reforms. Nigerians deserve a system that works for them.

The interior minister at the parley provided a detailed account of accomplishments across the ministry and all its six agencies.

Ministry of Interior generated over N6.2 bn revenue last year, says Minister

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19 kidnapped victims regain freedom in Katsina under peace deal

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19 kidnapped victims regain freedom in Katsina under peace deal

By: Zagazola Makama

Nineteen persons abducted by bandits in Katsina State have regained their freedom following the ongoing peace accord under the Operation Safe Corridor Initiative.

The victims, comprising men and women from Sabuwa and Funtua Local Government Areas, were released on Thursday morning at Innono Jigo Village in Sabuwa LGA as part of reconciliation efforts with repentant bandits.

They include Safaratu Basiru, 27, Jamila Auwalu, 22, and 17 others who had been held in captivity for several weeks.

Local officials and community leaders received the freed victims and conveyed them to Haske Private Health Centre, Sabuwa, for medical examination before reuniting them with their families.

Authorities in the area said the situation was being closely monitored as part of sustained efforts to consolidate peace and stability in the state.

19 kidnapped victims regain freedom in Katsina under peace deal

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Gov. Uba Sani Says No Citizens Should be Pushed into Poverty Seeking Essential Medical Care

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Gov. Uba Sani Says No Citizens Should be Pushed into Poverty Seeking Essential Medical Care

…Pate Calls for National Consensus on Prioritizing Health Care

By: Michael Mike

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has advocated for access to affordable medical care for all Nigerians, insisting that no citizens should be pushed into poverty for seeking essential medical care.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Ali Pate also called for national consensus on prioritizing healthcare system in the country.

Speaking at a High-Level Health Media Dialogue with Media Executives in Nigeria with theme: “Escalating Executive and Media Action for Health Accountability and Financing,” on Thursday in Abuja, Kaduna State governor said: “We believe no Nigerian family should be pushed into poverty by seeking essential medical care. Here, equity is not rhetoric for us. It is a principle of governance and justice…”

Sani, while noting that health facilities have been elevated in all parts of Kaduna state, said these landmark facilities significantly reduces the need for medical tourism, lessening the financial and emotional burdens in families.

He noted that emergency care is given priority, said: “We have launched the Kaduna State Emergency Medical Services ambulance system,” which has ensured that countless lives ensuring that urgent intervention reach patient within critical calling hour.

He added that: “Our consensus, as of today in Kaduna, the government has made it free for every emergency case in the first 24 or 48 hours without paying a penny, every patient will be treated free the first 48 hours in Kaduna,”

On his part, Pate said the issue of health affordability is universal and Nigerians need to know that the federal government is working on this.

He said: “There is real pain of affordability. Half of the world’s population doesn’t have access to basic healthcare services, not only in Nigeria, but we tend to self flagellate and not build a consensus to fix it, because it takes national consensus. It’s not a technical issue.

“Fixing health is not just a technical issue because we have had technical expertise for a very long time. It’s not also purely technocratic in terms of just having the right actors that know how to manage doing fundamentally, it’s a political choice that is reflective of political consensus within a country. It is when a country does not build a consensus on the prioritization of health or of education that it doesn’t allocate the resources or use the resources in that right way. And that goes beyond government.”

He noted that with the new tax reform has offered an opportunity for health to be adequately funded in the country.

Also speaking, the Country Director, Gates Foundation Nigeria Uche Amaonwu, said the health of our mothers, children and families, and by extension Nigeria’s human capital depends on what we do next for primary health care.

He assured that the Gates Foundation remains deeply committed to working alongside government and partners to ensure that every Nigerian family can rely on a strong, well financed primary healthcare system.

Earlier in her welcome speech, the Executive Director. International Society of Media in Public Health, Mrs. Moji Makanjuola reiterated the importance of budgeting adequately to health sector

She said “while we acknowledge the remarkable progress made, we must also confront — with courage and compassion — the realities reflected in our health indices.”

She said according to the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), Nigeria still records one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world at 512 deaths per 100,000 live births, and an under-five mortality rate of 102 deaths per 1,000 live births. These figures translate to approximately 82,000 Nigerian women dying annually due to pregnancy-related causes, and one in every ten Nigerian children dying before the age of five.

“These statistics are not meant to indict but to inspire — to spotlight the urgency for deeper reforms, more coordinated investments, and sustained accountability. They also highlight why our collective focus on strengthening PHC systems remains both timely and essential.

“Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) represent the bedrock of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) — the first and most critical point of contact for millions of Nigerians, especially those in rural and underserved communities. Yet, data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) reveals that only 20% of the over 30,000 PHCs nationwide are fully functional.

“When PHCs work — maternal and child mortality declines, immunization coverage improves, productivity rises, and the cycle of poverty linked to ill health is broken. Our task, therefore, is not merely to acknowledge these challenges but to transform them into opportunities for lasting change.”

Gov. Uba Sani Says No Citizens Should be Pushed into Poverty Seeking Essential Medical Care

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Four killed, others displaced as communal clash erupts in Niger community

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Four killed, others displaced as communal clash erupts in Niger community

By: Zagazola Makama

Four persons have been confirmed dead following a violent communal clash between Nupe and Fulani residents in Ezhigi village, Edati Local Government Area of Niger State.

Zagazola Makama report that the conflict began on Oct. 21, 2025, when a yet-to-be-identified Nupe man from Ezhigi had an altercation with one Jibril Adamu, a Fulani herder, for reasons yet to be ascertained.

During the dispute, Jibril allegedly attacked the Nupe man with a machete, inflicting deep injuries. The victim was rushed to the General Hospital, Kutigi, where he later died on Oct. 22 while receiving treatment.

The death of the victim reportedly triggered a reprisal attack by Nupe youths, who stormed the Fulani camp in the same village, killed four Fulani residents, and set their settlement ablaze.

Police personnel from Enagi Division swiftly mobilised to the scene and restored normalcy.

The command confirmed that one suspect, Jibril Adamu, had been arrested, while investigation was ongoing to track other perpetrators and prevent further escalation.

Four killed, others displaced as communal clash erupts in Niger community

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