Nigerian borders now better protected – Interior minister

File photo: Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo

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The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said that Nigeria’s borders are now better protected, attributing the progress to President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening national security.

Tunji-Ojo spoke on Sunday in Lagos at the Theatre Arts and Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria Professional and Empowerment Summit 2025.

At the summit, themed “The Right Man in Governance: Advancing Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” the minister was honoured as TAMPAN Man of the Year in recognition of his performance in office.

The minister, who was represented by a former Ondo State Commissioner, Dayo Awude, said the Ministry of Interior had recorded significant improvements under the Tinubu administration in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He listed prison reforms, strengthened border security architecture, the installation of e-gates at major airports, and innovations in passport administration as key milestones.

According to him, the ministry has also cleared about 200,000 passport application backlogs, a development he described as a major boost to public confidence in service delivery.

“I just cited the issue of passports as an example. That is how we all can see, we all can feel. The Honourable Minister has done much more than that.

“Today, if you go to our airport in Lagos, the MM2, we have the e-gates. If you go to Abuja, we have the e-gates. You don’t have to have any contact with any immigration officer harassing you and asking you questions unnecessarily.

“As long as you’re a citizen and you have your passport, just scan it, then you go. I think that is the way to go. Of course, our borders are better protected today.

“The correctional facilities are better than before. He has done well in every sector,” he said.

Responding to questions on the clearance of the 200,000 passports, he said the challenge was inherited from the previous administration but had to be tackled because “it ought not to be.”

“Well, it was the previous administration, definitely. I think somebody then did not do his job, or could not do his job, or did not have what was required to do that job.

“And when the young man came, he was able to demonstrate that, no, we can get this done. And he did it,” he said.

The minister, while responding to the honour, described members of TAMPAN as the “conscience of the nation” and charged them to be more creative and original in their profession.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Global President of TAMPAN, Bolaji Amusan, commended Tunji-Ojo for bringing clarity, innovation and renewed purpose to the ministry.

Amusan, popularly known as Mr Latin, noted that the minister’s reforms had helped to restore public confidence in services that directly affect millions of Nigerians at home and abroad.

According to him, beyond institutional reforms, the minister had shown uncommon courage and accountability in leadership by insisting on standards and placing national interest above convenience.

He added that Tunji-Ojo’s performance aligns clearly with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, describing it as a practical demonstration of how effective leadership can strengthen institutions and deliver sustainable outcomes.

Amusan also noted that the creative industry is not only an economic driver but a powerful tool for social reorientation, value projection and national unity, positioning it as a strategic partner in governance and nation-building.

He further clarified that the recognition associated with the summit was neither commercial nor routine, but a rare honour reserved for individuals whose leadership has made a lasting national impact.

The TAMPAN president urged members of the association and stakeholders in the creative sector to embrace professionalism, unity and higher standards, while aligning their creative output with national purpose.

Some highlights of the event included a drama performance by the national troupe of TAMPAN and a colourful parade by members of the association’s state branches.

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