Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has disclosed that out of the 6 billion, N3,220,035 generated from the expatriate quota, N2,409,282 is from marriage services, N392,790 from citizenship, and N12,350 was raked in from places of worship. He further revealed that women made up over 35 per cent 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).
Dr. Tunji-Ojo made this disclosure during the Ministry’s first-quarter media engagement for 2025, held at the Chelsea Hotel, Abuja.
He emphasized 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 per cent 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.
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