Passport in Three Days: How Bunmi Tunji-Ojo is Powering Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda
By Temidayo Awotula
At the Nigeria House in London, Awotale A. could hardly believe his eyes. Just three days after biometric capture, his renewed Nigerian passport arrived at his doorstep.
“It used to take months—sometimes half a year,” he said, shaking his head. “Now it feels like the system actually works for us.”
His story is one of many now emerging as proof of transformation inside Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior, under the leadership of Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. Once a federal lawmaker, Tunji-Ojo has become one of the most visible drivers of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, bringing digital innovation and long-awaited reform to a ministry that had long been mired in backlogs and inefficiency.
Clearing the Backlog, Delivering Hope
When Tunji-Ojo assumed office, he inherited a staggering 204,332 pending passport applications. Within just three weeks, the backlog was gone. Applicants today can expect their passports within two weeks, with the option of home or office delivery—a service previously unthinkable.
But passports are only one part of the story.
A Humanitarian Turn in Corrections
Tunji-Ojo has also overseen the release of more than 4,000 low-risk inmates, their fines—worth ₦585 million—paid through an initiative designed to ease overcrowding and give second chances.
Morale and Modernization
Inside the ministry’s agencies—immigration, fire service, correctional centers, and civil defence—tens of thousands of officers have received overdue promotions, lifting morale in sectors often described as forgotten. Meanwhile, digital tools such as e-gates, e-visas, smart borders, and central command centers have ushered in an era of modern migration control.
Safer Communities, Stronger Revenues
Security initiatives like Safe Haven and Safe School have cut crime by about 25 percent, according to ministry data. On the fiscal side, the ministry generated over ₦6 billion in 2024, boosting government coffers.
A Face of Renewed Hope
For many, Tunji-Ojo has become the embodiment of Tinubu’s promise of Renewed Hope—proof that governance can be both visionary and practical.
“Leadership is about making life easier for the people,” the minister said recently. “We cannot continue to run a 21st-century nation on 20th-century systems.”
For Nigerians like Awotale, the change is not just policy—it is personal. The passport in his hand tells the story of a ministry moving from analog delay to digital delivery, from frustration to trust.
And as the Renewed Hope agenda gathers pace, one truth becomes clear: when leaders match vision with action, even the most complex institutions can be rebuilt—not just to function, but to inspire.
