The Federal Government has unveiled sweeping reforms in the Ministry of Interior, including plans to arm select private security companies, license private firefighting firms, and ensure Nigerians receive international passports within one week.

Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed the reforms on Thursday at the ministry’s Mid-Tenure/2025 Sectoral Performance Retreat held at Zuma Rock Resorts, Suleja, Niger State. He noted that most of the proposals will require legislative backing.

Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria’s passport regime and immigration processes have been fundamentally overhauled to deliver efficiency, eliminate corruption, and restore integrity to the country’s travel documents.

“My responsibility is to do what is right, not what is convenient. Nigerians deserve efficiency, not bottlenecks,” the Minister declared, adding that his mandate under President Bola Tinubu’s administration was anchored on “simple solutions to complex problems.”

The Minister expressed strong support for ongoing legislative efforts to repeal the 1986 Private Guards Act, describing it as obsolete. He argued that with a population of over 230 million people and overstretched security agencies, Nigeria must confront the debate on arming private security firms.

He recommended that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) be empowered to regulate armed private security firms through profiling, vetting, and licensing, while the Ministry of Interior would continue to handle corporate licensing.

“If we don’t allow some of them—not all—to carry weapons, then what we have is not really security, but just gate men,” Tunji-Ojo said, stressing that accountability mechanisms would ensure weapons do not get into the wrong hands.

On passport reform, the Minister revealed that the Nigerian Immigration Service now operates a Centralized Passport Personalization Centre—the largest in Africa—established through renegotiated contracts rather than new government spending.

He reaffirmed his target of delivering passports within one week, ensuring data integrity across immigration services, and building a transparent, technology-driven system trusted locally and internationally.

The Minister also called for urgent reform of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), describing the existing 1963 Act as outdated and ineffective.

“By law today, the fire service cannot prosecute, cannot enumerate and cannot even regulate. When a government agency lacks prosecution, regulation, and enforcement powers, it becomes a toothless dog,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo proposed licensing private firefighting and rescue companies, arguing that government alone cannot fund the growing demands of modern fire and emergency services. He revealed that discussions with the National Assembly were already underway to amend the law in line with global best practices.

“In the US and UK, emergency medical services are under the fire service. That is what we must aim for. If we fail in emergency response, we fail the economy,” he warned.

He urged lawmakers, stakeholders, and the private sector to collaborate with the Executive in building a modern and efficient fire and rescue framework, which he described as critical for safety, investment, and sustainable development. (Vanguard)