The Federal Government has instructed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to deactivate and withdraw passports from Nigerians who formally renounce their citizenship. The directive was issued by Interior Minister Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and communicated in a statement released on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Babatunde Alao. The order applies specifically to individuals who have completed legal procedures to relinquish Nigerian citizenship, particularly those who have acquired citizenship in other countries. The ministry emphasized that such persons no longer qualify to hold Nigerian travel documents under existing laws. The NIS has been directed to verify citizenship status and take immediate action on affected passports. The move aligns with provisions in the Nigerian Constitution and the Immigration Act, which bar dual citizenship for adults except in limited circumstances. The ministry warned that continued use of Nigerian passports by those who have renounced citizenship amounts to document fraud. Legal procedures for renunciation are formal and require approval from the Federal Executive Council.
Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo's directive to deactivate passports of Nigerians who renounce citizenship is less about border control and more a symbolic assertion of national belonging in a time of rising emigration. The move singles out a small, legally defined group—those who have formally given up citizenship—but resonates in a climate where millions of Nigerians live abroad, many holding dual status informally. By enforcing a rule long on the books but rarely applied, the minister is drawing a hard line on identity, suggesting that loyalty to Nigeria cannot be situational.
This action unfolds amid growing anxiety over brain drain and the economic impact of skilled professionals settling overseas. While the law has always restricted dual citizenship for adults, enforcement has been inconsistent, allowing many to retain Nigerian passports even after acquiring foreign nationality. The timing of the directive, without prior public debate or transitional measures, signals a shift toward stricter citizenship enforcement, possibly in response to political pressure to appear tough on national sovereignty.
Ordinary Nigerians with relatives abroad may now face tougher scrutiny when traveling or renewing documents, especially if they also hold foreign passports. Second-generation Nigerians raised abroad could find themselves legally severed from home. For those who assumed they could maintain ties through a passport, the policy ends that convenience.
This is not an isolated move but part of a broader pattern of redefining who counts as Nigerian—seen in past debates over voter access for diaspora citizens and taxation of foreign income.
