Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of the interior, has voiced dismay at the difficult procedure married women must follow in order to update the information on their passports.Tunji-Ojo voiced her anger at the various man-made obstacles Nigerians face while attempting to amend their passport data over a recent dinner in Abuja with members of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ABAT Media Center and several social media influencers.
In his speech, he referred to the practice of requiring Nigerians, particularly married women, to endure the ordeal of traveling to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) headquarters in Abuja in order to make a data modification as nothing more than a "stupid practice."
"There is one dumb thing that I have witnessed: after being married and changing her name, a woman has to travel all the way from, say, Kaura Namoda or Enugu to Abuja in order to alter her name on her passport. It's nonsensical, Tunji-Ojo declared.
"It's not clear to me why you want to change merely your name and that Abuja is a must.
"I asked the immigration people if they were different from those in the states in having more than one head.
The Minister claims that marriage is the only reason why women are exposed to such cruel customs wherever in the globe.
On Monday, January 8, 2024, the Federal Government has said that it will start automating the passport application procedure.
Nigerians can now apply for and complete their passport application online without having to speak to a human.
Alongside Comptroller General Wura-Ola Adepoju, Tunji-Ojo made the statement during a recent visit of the NIS facilities.
He said that the automated application process was "99% done," and that uploading passport images and supporting documentation will be part of the procedure.