Nigeria to revoke passports of citizens who formally renounce nationality

Nigeria’s interior minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered the immediate withdrawal and deactivation of passports held by citizens who have formally renounced their nationality.

The directive, conveyed to the Nigeria Immigration Service, applies only to individuals whose renunciation requests have been duly approved by the president, Bola Tinubu, according to a statement released on Friday by the minister’s media aide, Alao Babatunde.

Tunji-Ojo said the move was grounded in section 29(1) and (2) of the 1999 constitution, which outlines the legal process for relinquishing Nigerian citizenship. Under the provision, a citizen of full age must make a formal declaration, which only takes effect once registered by the president. Upon registration, the individual ceases to be a Nigerian citizen.

“Once that status changes, the right to hold sovereign documents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including passports, falls away,” the minister said.

He added that the directive forms part of broader reforms to Nigeria’s passport and visa systems, aimed at tightening border controls, reducing identity fraud and safeguarding the integrity of citizenship documentation.

Officials say the policy is also intended to ensure that travel documents are held only by those legally entitled to them, as authorities seek to modernise migration management while maintaining compliance with constitutional provisions.