Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that Nigeria’s contactless application system is now working in the United Kingdom and Canada.
He stated this in an interactive session with the Organized Private Sector at NECA House on Tuesday in Lagos.
The Minister narrated the hurdles he went through in terms of Nigerian passport issues as a student in the United Kingdom.
Olubunmi stated that being a Nigerian should be a source of excitement for the citizens rather than grief.
This was just as he noted that the country’s electronic gate is up and running, adding that the development might look small but goes a long way in fortifying the country’s ease of doing business.
“Over the last 18 months, we have done a lot in the Ministry of Interior.
Yes, we are not yet there, but we are not where we were.
“If you are in the UK, Canada, our contactless application system is working.
“I was once a student in the United Kingdom, and I knew what we used to go through in terms of passports.
“Being a Nigerian should be something we should be happy about.
Our E-gate is up and running.
These activities might look small, but they are key to ease of doing business.
I don’t think it is necessary for someone to wait for three months before being regularized,” the Minister stated.
Meanwhile, Olubunmi-Ojo urged stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria works well, noting that no business organization will want Nigeria not to work.
“To your stakeholders, your responsibility is to ensure that there is a country and the country works well.
There is no business organisation that will want Nigeria not to work,” he said.
Earlier speaking, the Director-General of Nigeria’s Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale Oyerinde, attested to the ongoing massive reforms across the board, noting that most of them are unaware.
Oyerinde said the reforms affect the activities of every businessperson.
There are massive reforms going on across the board, but we are not aware of them.
“These reforms affect our activities as businesspeople,” he said.
