The Interior Ministry has, in the last two years, mobilised paramilitaryagencies in the direction of internal security reorganisation and affirmation, writes Emmanuel Onani.

The Ministry of Interior under the dynamic and purposeful leadership of Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has left no one in doubt about his “desperation” to move the institution away from interagency rivalry, to interagency collaboration, while insisting on the compelling need for agencies to deliver on theRe ewes Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu-led Administration.

Since his assumption of office in mid 2023, Tunji-Ojo has not left anyone in doubt about his capacity to deploy his legislative and administrative competences, to drive reforms in the Ministry, as well as agencies under his supervision: Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS); Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); Federal Fire Service, and Nigeria Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

WELCOME TO THE CENTRALISED INTERIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM

The Centralised  Interior  Management And Administration System , also known and referred to as CIMAS, is a largely enterprise-grade platform hosted on the newly-commissioned data centre (BATTIC). It is a veritable initiative that serves as the central hub for all software solutions deployed across the different agencies under the Ministry.

Among other things, the platform creates room for the unification of data collection, processing and eventually reporting, ensuring seamless integration, and communication among all agencies’ systems.  It further links/connects every relevant institution’s  software to the centralised framework.

In the main, the Ministry gains through improved oversight, streamlined administration, and effective/efficient decision-making imperatives.

It is crystal clear that the Ministry under the leadership of Dr. Tunji-Ojo, has embraced digital transformation, strengthened national security, and delivered structural changes that to all intent and purpose – are reshaping internal administration across the country.

Instructively, what is outstanding in all of these, is not simply the number of reforms, but the pace, courage, and impact, which in themselves, underpin a bold paradigm  shift toward a more technology-driven, citizen-focused model of internal security governance, and democratic accountability.

HOW MINISTER’s DIGITAL INNOVATION HAS FARED IN AGENCIES IMMIGRATION

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), no doubt, bears what appears the most visible transformation of the Minister’s visionary leadership at the Interior Ministry. Before May 2023, the NIS has the notoriety of accumulated backlog of passports  nearing 300, 000.

The story, however, changed in early 2024, the Service  cleared a backlog of over 200,000 passport applications within weeks—a feat that signaled the beginning of wider digital reforms championed by the former parliamentarian.

As a consequence, the passport processing system is now fully automated, thereby necessitating the near disappearance of queues. There is also the contactless biometric system, which enables applicants to apply for passports, get enrolled from the comfort of their homes.

Enter the E-Gate Wonder

Through the Minister’s forward-thinking policies, the NIS has installed e-gates at major international airports across the country, with the objective to cover all in no distant time. The installations are said to have been completed in the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), as well as Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA),  Lagos. Enugu, Port Harcourt, and Kano are being waited.

Aso to the credit of the ministry is the deployment of an Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS), with the capacity for real-time assessment of passengers before arrival.

FORTIFIED BORDER REGIME

On Border security, there are confirmed reports that the Ministry has expanded Nigeria’s e-border surveillance system, with command centers and upgraded monitoring equipment deployed across vulnerable locations and other general areas. The development has paved the way for easy tracking of smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons, irregular migrants, as well as other cross-border crimes.

As at the last count, the Federal government had repatriated/deported more than 800 illegal migrants in 2024. The move is a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to national security ideals. These efforts reflect a broader policy on border management.

NSCDC And Contribution To Internal Security Architecture

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has taken on an expanded role over the last two years, particularly in the protection of critical national assets such as pipelines, rail infrastructure, and power and telecommunication infrastructure.

Buoyed by the Renewed Hope Agenda, the NSCDC alao intensified operations against pipeline vandals, illegal miners, and oil thieves, significantly reducing sabotage incidents in several hotspot zones. Its involvement in the Safe Schools Initiative has also deepened, with improved rapid-response capacity to protect educational institutions from banditry and abductions.

A series of training programmes and welfare reforms, including clearance of promotion backlogs, were further initiated, thereby boosting the morale and operational readiness among officers, and personnel.

INSTITUTIONALISING REHABILITATION, REFORMATION AT NCoS

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has continued to witness appreciable reforms, with a steady drive towards attaining the global best practices mark. Specifically, the ministry has undertaken large-scale  decongestion of correctional facilities, side-by-side with the operationalisation of the non-custodial sentence.

In some of the holding centres, security infrastructure have been fortified, with the introduction of surveillance systems and upgraded perimeter fences, to forestall any further security breaches. Needless to say that the NCoS has expanded vocational and psychological rehabilitation programmes to prepare inmates for productive reintegration into society.

FEDERAL FIRE SERVICE AND EQUIPMENT UPGRADE

It is a no-brainer that the Federal Fire Service had struggled with outdated equipment and slow response to fire and other emergency disasters. The story has since changed with the coming on board of the Minister, who has invested massively in modern fire fighting equipment: modern trucks, upgraded firefighting gear, and increased number of functional fire stations across sub-nationals, andi Local Governments.

There is also the growing public fire prevention campaigns  while firefighters now undergo continuous training in modern rescue techniques. The results are evident: faster emergency response and a steadily growing public confidence in the FFS.

Above all, the ongoing reforms within the ministry have not only enhanced service delivery, but also propelled government finances. For instance, in 2024, the Ministry generated an estimated  ¦ 6 billion in revenue from expatriate quotas, citizenship applications, business permits, and other services. This feat reflects improved transparency, enhanced digital systems, and stronger compliance tracking. 

As a result, critical agencies under the Ministry now submit themselves  to a performance management framework, ensuring, as it were,  accountability, speed, and measurable progress across the operational milieu.

CONCLUSION

There are mounting expectations that the Ministry of Interior will push through with the reforms, while reasserting the fundamental place of paramilitary organisations within the internal security framework of government.