Nigerians who give up their citizenship to lose passports: minister
The directive is aimed at preserving the integrity of Nigeria's passport and covers those whose renunciation requests have been approved by the president, a statement said.
Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed the immigration service to immediately withdraw and deactivate passports held by persons who have formally renounced their Nigerian citizenship.
The directive covers Nigerians whose renunciation requests have been formally approved by the president, a statement issued on Saturday said.
He said the move was meant to preserve the integrity of Nigerian citizenship and prevent the misuse of official travel documents.
“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 unauthorised or ineligible access,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He said the directive was aimed at closing a gap that allowed former citizens to continue travelling on Nigerian passports after their renunciation had been officially recognised.
Once a person ceases to be a citizen, they can no longer hold any sovereign document of Nigeria including a passport, the statement said.
The minister said the decision was consistent with ongoing passport and visa reforms undertaken by his ministry in recent years.