FG generates ₦6.3b from marriage registry, expatriate quota, others

The Federal Government has announced that over ₦6.3 billion has been generated under the Federal Ministry of Interior from services covering marriage registration, citizenship applications by foreigners, and expatriate quotas under the Citizenship and Business department.

The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this while presenting the ministry’s quarterly scorecard for 2024 yesterday in Abuja.

He noted that the amount represents over a 150% increase from the internally generated revenue in 2023, attributing this achievement to the automation of processes under the Citizenship and Business department.

He said, “A key part of the ministry that interacts with the public is the department we call Citizenship and Business (C&B). One of the first things we realized about the department was that its revenue generation was below expectations. So, we optimized and automated its processes.

“For instance, last year, the government realized about ₦3,220,035,000 from expatriate quota applications alone. This is not just about granting quotas but involves application fees. For marriages, we generated ₦2,409,000,000; for citizenship, ₦392,790,000; and for places of worship, ₦12,350,000.

“In total, the department generated ₦6,034,457,000, which is over a 150% increase compared to 2023. We also have targets set for 2025.”

He added that in 2023, a total of 32,640 officers were promoted, and 20,852 officers were promoted in 2024, thereby clearing all backlog promotions in paramilitary agencies. Additionally, 8,283 officers were recruited into the services in 2023 (Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC), while 2,500 officers joined the Federal Fire Service (FFS) in 2024.

Regarding the paramilitary agencies, Dr. Tunji-Ojo noted significant progress, particularly in the FFS, which has improved rescue operations and fire prevention, saving lives and preventing property losses worth billions of naira.

“There is much more the fire service should be doing, and we need the law under review to be passed. We are also focusing on training officers to increase their capacity and efficiency,” he stated.

On the NSCDC, the minister reported that the agency has successfully dismantled illegal oil bunkering operations and protected Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI), such as power lines and telecommunications cables.

“307 persons have been arrested, 215 cases handled, 133 prosecuted, and 169 illegal refineries destroyed,” he added.

Regarding the introduction of contactless passports by the NIS, the minister highlighted that migration and border control are central to the agency’s mandate. He revealed that the government is committed to rolling out the contactless passport regime.

He stated that, in addition to the Ahmed Bola Tinubu Data Centre recently launched by the NIS, the contactless passport system, already operational in Canada, will soon expand to Europe. It will be launched in Nigeria and the Americas on April 4, 2025, while Asia and other African countries will adopt it by March 3, 2025. The visa application process is also being streamlined.

For the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), the federal government announced ongoing renovations and rehabilitation of old custodial centres and those overtaken by development, addressing challenges such as overcrowding.