Interior Ministry generates over N6bn for FG under Tunji-Ojo

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced that his ministry raked in over N6 billion from marriage contracts, expatriate quota, citizenship and place of worship into the coffers of the federal government in 2024.

Such huge amount generated cut across all the agencies under the supervision of Dr. Tunji-Ojo.

Speaking at a media parley Tuesday in Abuja, the minister said about N3.220,035,000 was generated from expatriate quota, N2.4 billion was generated from marriage services, N392 million from citizenship and N12.3 million from places of worship.

According to Tunji-Ojo, the issuance of expatriate quotas contributed significantly to the Ministry’s revenue.

The Minister also revealed that women made up over 35 percent of recruits into agencies under the Ministry in 2024.

The agencies supervised by the Ministry include the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Federal Fire Service (FFS).

He said the Ministry’s commitment to gender inclusivity in alignment with the gender policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

“In 2024, we ensured that a minimum of 35 percent of new recruits across all services under our watch were women, reinforcing our dedication to gender balance and equality,” the Minister stated.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo also highlighted significant achievements in staff welfare, announcing that approximately 36,642 officers were promoted in 2023, with 20,851 officers benefiting from promotions last year.

He assured that the Ministry had successfully cleared all promotion backlogs, ensuring fairness and boosting morale.

“We owe this progress to the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has made the welfare of staff a core priority of this administration,” Dr. Tunji-Ojo noted.

On prison reforms, the Minister stated that there had been no attacks on correctional facilities in the past year, reflecting improved security measures.

He also announced a collaboration between the Nigerian Correctional Service and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to link inmates’ data with the National Identification Number (NIN) system, enhancing data integration and monitoring.

Regarding rehabilitation efforts, the Minister disclosed that no fewer than 330 inmates were trained in vocational and artisanal skills between July and December 2024, while over 50 inmates are currently pursuing higher education at National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) study centers nationwide.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to the periodic training and retraining of officers, ensuring they are equipped with the skills necessary to address emerging challenges.