September 23, (THEWILL) – A legendary American writer, humourist and essayist, Mark Twain once said, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything”. This means that if you tell the truth, you will die. And if you don’t tell the truth, you will die.
Recent discussions circulating in the media about the supposed efficiency and innovations brought into the Nigeria immigration System (NIS) by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, fondly called “BTO” seems to be more of a manufactured carved-out-image than reality. Under deep scrutiny, the unbridled truth cannot be overlooked. BTO’s tenure has not introduced any new innovation that was not suggested, initiated and even implemented by past governments in the country, regarding passport issuance or immigration processes.
As opposed to the news in circulation, the ease and sudden effectiveness witnessed by the applicants in passport issuance at home in Nigeria can be attributed to the decline in passport application from Nigerians occasioned by the clampdown on immigrants by the Government of the United Kingdom. In fact, the ease and reduced pressure on immigration infrastructure have external factors at the core influence rather than the almighty propaganda pushed by seemingly sponsored influencers and strategic media coverage.
In past years, one of the major causes of passport delays and the challenges faced was due to the heightened ‘Japa’ Syndrome that increased Post-COVID. Between January 2021 and 2023, when the economic instability began to worsen coupled with insecurity and unrest, millions of Nigerians focused on immigration in the pursuit of a better future. The demand for Nigerian passport applications overwhelmed Nigeria immigration infrastructures, just as it did the immigration authorities in destination countries. Even the United Kingdom’s visa processing time which previously took 48 hours for urgent applications became 48 days in some cases. As the Nigerian government struggled to meet passport demands at home, the UK government grappled with housing, primary and secondary education, and public services for migrants and dependents of immigrants.
For instance, in the Metropolitan City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, the monthly rent for a 3-bedroom house skyrocketed from an average of £500 to over £1000 at the height of the JAPA’s wave. The fact that it has now dropped to £850 as migration pressures have decreased, shows that ‘Japa’ has inadvertently reduced due to other influences and not BTO’s efficiency. The surge in visa applications overwhelmed the system, but it was never the result of a failure by any individual minister. In fact, it was more the consequence of increased demand caused by a broken immigration system that had long existed before the ‘Japa’ surge. Also, since the ban on foreign careers and master students from bringing their loved ones to the UK, the whole country is now oblivious to the decline in the ‘Japa’ syndrome that once was a frenzy. Also, there is the new minimum income requirement that was increased for those bringing dependents to the UK on family visas from £29,000 Pounds a year to £34,500 and to rise to £38,700 in early 2025. I ask, can an average Nigerian afford this? Scratch that, how many high class Nigerians can place that huge amount down during the current economic meltdown that Nigeria currently grapples with?
To further ascertain this with data, according to the UK’s Home Office, visa applications through the health and education sectors have significantly dropped by 86% and 67% respectively. Data from the Home Office shows that in August 2024, applications for health and care visas dropped from 18,300 in August 2023 to 2,300 in 2024. Note the difference. The applications for dependents also dropped by 73% in 2024. So where are the people applying for the passports that BTO claimed he has improved since his resumption in office? These changes are a result of Nigeria’s deteriorating economy and the tightening of immigration policies in the UK and other countries, not due to any internal reforms initiated by BTO. The reality is that fewer Nigerians are seeking international opportunities today. The massive demand that characterized the ‘Japa’ years has eased, and as a result, there is naturally less pressure on the Nigerian Immigration Service at home. This is not a victory of policy but rather ebb in demand. BTO did not solve any problem; the problem solved itself.
Only a fool will fall for mere publicity stunts when the data on passport applications reveal a clear trend. In 2023, according to official data from the Nigerian Immigration Service, approximately 1.1 million passport applications were processed. According to data published by the Daily Independent Newspaper, 1.9 million passports were processed in 2022, indicating an 80% increase in demand while less than 200,000 have been processed in the first half of 2024. This represents a decline from the peak years of ‘Japa’ period. This reduction in applications aligns with the trends seen in migration patterns. The 42 per cent reduction in passport applications in 2023 and almost 70 per cent drop in 2024 has little to do with any efficiency brought into the system, but it is a reflection of the reduced demand for international migration opportunities. As the Nigerian economy worsened and the UK and other countries tightened immigration rules, fewer Nigerians sought passports for international travel, resulting in a natural decline in passport applications. Again, how does this equate BTO’s increasing efficiency when there is actually demand decline. Another of the central claims made by BTO’s image managers is his supposed initiation of the home delivery of passports. This claim falls flat when examined in context. It shouldn’t be news that the idea of home delivery for passports was actually initiated during the tenure of the former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.
In fact, Aregbesola’s administration initiated several passport reforms, including the introduction of enhanced e-passports and the decentralization of passport offices across the country. The groundwork for improved services, including the delivery of passports to applicants’ homes, was laid before BTO’s tenure. In a news report by Daily Trust in 2023, Aregebesola revealed this, “ ‘We are in the final stage of concluding negotiations with NIPOST to begin using its speed mail service to deliver passports to Nigerians wherever they are in the world after production,’ the Minister disclosed.” This was in fact said during the opening of the Nigeria Immigration Service Passport Front Desk Office in Auchi, Edo State, on Saturday, 20th May 2023.
Attributing this to BTO is disingenuous and he himself using this to promote his rather bland tenure is a difficult pill to swallow. Rather than creating new solutions, BTO is benefiting from the policies already in place. What has been done under his administration is mere continuity, not innovation. While BTO’s administration may claim that the system has become more efficient, many Nigerians still face significant delays and frustrations in the United Kingdom. For example, applicants in the UK who submitted their passport applications in August 2024 often have to wait until February 2025 of the following year for biometric capturing unless they are willing to pay $300 for fast-tracking, which reeks of systemic fraud, they must endure long waiting periods. These challenges reflect long-standing issues within the immigration system that no minister has successfully addressed, certainly not BTO. The Nigerian passport processing system remains plagued by inefficiencies, delays, and corruption, despite claims to the contrary.
The facts paint a clear picture—BTO’s tenure as Nigeria’s Minister of Interior has not been defined by any significant reforms or innovations. This can be seen in the increased number of jailbreaks that are often left unaddressed and criminals being on the loose afterwards. But data and evidence bear witness that the easing of pressure on the passport system is a direct result of the natural decline in demand due to external factors and economic instability, not any internal policy shift. His claims to have introduced home delivery for passports are false, and his supposed achievements in immigration reform are hollow. Rather than continuing to chase illusions of success despite its nonexistent, it is advisable for the Minister to focus on tackling the current issues and leaving his mark rather than chasing clouts with influencers and sponsored media stunts to paint a smooth tenure when in reality it is nothing. It is time we move beyond the noise of influencers and image projection and hold our leaders to account for real performance, not manufactured mediocrity.
***written by Maxwell Adeleye
•Adeleye is a Strategic Communications Expert based in the United Kingdom
