Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, the interior minister, reported on Tuesday that 55,000 of the backlog of 200,000 passports had been eliminated.

After the backlogs are cleared, Nigerians should be able to get their passports in two weeks, the minister promised, adding that additional passports would be approved before the end of the two weeks the immigration chief had been given.

When Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, visited his office in Abuja, he gave a speech. Afonja Ajibola, the Ministry of Interior's Director of Press, said this in a statement.

He said, â€œNigerians must not be relegated from being citizens of Nigeria by denying them a passport.

“He reiterated his belief that we must get it right now, adding that he receives updates every morning; and that this very morning, he has been briefed that about 55,000 passports have been cleared, out of the 200,000 passports backlog he instructed to be cleared in two weeks.

“He then assured that by the time the backlogs are cleared, Nigerians will start enjoying the efficient service of having their passports issued within two weeks upon application.”

Edu offered soft loans to the widows of deceased members of the Federal Fire Service, Immigration Service, Nigerian Correctional Service, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

She further pledged that skill development courses will empower prisoners at the correctional facilities.

The statement added, “The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Beta Edu, said her Ministry’s Mandate has been expanded to cover more Nigerians, who are about 16 million who are susceptible to insecurity leading to their displacement, thereby causing humanitarian crises.

“She also said her ministry is ready to intervene in the provision of soft loans to the widows of deceased NSCDC, correctional officers, men and officers of Nigeria Immigration Service and Fire Service officers. According to her, inmates of Correctional facilities will start enjoying similar intervention through a skills acquisition programme.

“She, however, said since the Federal Fire Service is an agency under the supervision of the Ministry that also responds to disaster, her attention will also be given in that direction; while NSCDC’s role in security intelligence will also be activated as part of the joint partnership.”