The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has revealed that Nigeria will soon roll out a centralised platform to verify and authenticate travel documents in real-time, in a bid to reduce document fraud and improve border control measures across the country.
The minister disclosed this on Tuesday during a meeting held in Abuja with the United Kingdom’s Minister of State, David Hanson. Accompanying the UK official were representatives from the British High Commission, the National Crime Agency, and the UK Home Office.
Tunji-Ojo noted that the current method of verifying travel and identity documents is slow and inefficient, as agencies must confirm each document separately with its issuing body. “We discovered that one of the key drivers of rising document fraud is the absence of a centralised, real-time verification system,” he said. “Currently, if someone submits 20 documents, you may need to contact 20 different issuing agencies to verify them. That breeds inefficiency.”
He explained that the new system would streamline the process, allowing authorities to instantly verify documents such as passports, certificates, and bank statements from a single location.
In addition to tackling fraud, the Interior Minister said the system would help improve national security and build trust with foreign governments and investors. He also said Nigeria is prepared to lead regional cooperation in strengthening border control, stressing that different countries in West Africa face different migration issues and therefore need a customised, regional strategy.
“To tackle a heterogeneous problem with a homogeneous approach will not work,” he said. “That’s why we’re planning a regional border conference to allow for the development of unified yet adaptable strategies to combat migration and border-related challenges.”
Tunji-Ojo also announced that Nigeria’s EU visa application platform would begin operations on May 1, allowing faster and more secure processing of visa requests. “We now have a policy that ensures a response—approval or rejection—within 24 to 48 hours of applying for an EU visa,” he said.
He linked these efforts to the goals of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, noting that the focus is on crime prevention rather than only punishing offenders. “Our performance will be judged not by the number of convictions or recoveries but by how many crimes or frauds we prevent,” he said.
Responding during the meeting, David Hanson said the UK was eager to keep working with Nigeria to boost the justice system and reduce crime. He noted that the UK is also reviewing its own visa and migration processes and hopes to partner more closely with Nigeria in areas like trade and skill development.
“My colleagues at the High Commission are eager to maintain strong engagement with the Nigerian government,” Hanson said. “You can rest assured that the National Crime Agency, the High Commission, and the Home Office are ready to extend a hand of partnership,” he added.
