A RECORD
YOU CAN FOLLOW.

Born 1 May 1982 in the Akoko country of Ondo State, in what is now Akoko North-West Local Government Area.

Sworn in as Minister of Interior at the State House, Abuja, on 21 August 2023, alongside 44 other ministers.

He is the only child of the late Tunji Ojo and Mrs Yinka Tunji-Ojo, an accountant trained at Bayero University, Kano, who rose to General Manager, Finance and Investment, at Odu’a Investment Company.

His father was killed in Kaduna in 1992, during religious violence, when he was ten years old.

Raised by his widowed mother, he hawked tomatoes and pepper at Oja-Oba market in Akure as a boy.

When the family could not raise his final-year examination fee, a pastor, Dr Ayo Val, paid it.

He is married to Abimbola Tunji-Ojo (née Otegbeye) of Owo, Ondo State; they have two children.

Primary education begins in his home community in Akoko North-West, Ondo State (1987–1990).

The family moves north; he schools in Kaduna from 1990 until the 1992 violence that took his father’s life.

Back in Ondo State with his mother, he completes his primary education in Akure.

Secondary schooling from 1993 to 1999 at the Federal University of Technology staff school, where he was elected Senior Prefect in 1998.

Admitted to study Electrical and Electronics Engineering; he left in his third year (2002) to continue his studies in the United Kingdom.

Graduates in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the University of North London, now London Metropolitan University.

Completes a master’s degree in Digital Communication and Networking at London Metropolitan University.

Among the first cohort certified in Ethical Hacking and Counter Measures by the Royal Britannia IT Training Academy, UK; also holds CompTIA Network+ and A+ credentials and is reported to have accumulated eighteen professional ICT qualifications before the age of 24.

Conferred an honorary Doctorate in Public Administration at JABU’s 11th convocation, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, on 22 January 2021 — the origin of the “Dr” in his title.

His first alma mater, Obafemi Awolowo University, honours him with an Award of Excellence in Public Service on 13 December 2025.

Works in network security in the United Kingdom from 2004 to 2006, with clients reported to include Barclays, HSBC and Apple.

Returns to Nigeria and becomes Chief Executive of Matrix IT Solutions Limited, an indigenous ICT consulting firm, at the age of 24.

His firm advises the World Bank, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, JAMB, the National Film and Video Censors Board, NCDMB, NHIS and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.

Co-founds New Planet Project Limited with his wife on 3 March 2009; he resigned as a director on 1 February 2019 on entering public office.

Contests the Akoko North-East/North-West seat under the Action Congress of Nigeria and places second.

Pioneers the first Nigerian Content Workshop with the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), the Ministry of Petroleum, NNPC, PTDF and NCDMB.

On 23 February 2019 he wins Akoko North-East/North-West for the APC with 20,988 votes (36.4%), a margin of 8,019 over the PDP candidate.

Leads the forum of 156 first-term APC members that backed Femi Gbajabiamila for Speaker of the 9th House.

Named Chairman of the House Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission on 25 July 2019, among 109 standing committee chairs.

Leads the House probe into alleged N40bn mismanagement at the NDDC; the hearing establishes that N81.5bn was spent between January and May 2020.

On 20 July 2020, after the Commission’s acting head accused him of bias, he steps aside as presiding chairman so the hearing could proceed without question; the committee’s report with sixteen recommendations was laid on 23 July.

Sponsors HB 1215 to rewrite the NDDC Act with minimum qualifications for its leadership and penalties for abuse of office.

Sponsors HB 1349 to extend the Tertiary Education Trust Fund to polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of forestry; the bill was reported out of committee and consolidated for second reading.

Also sponsors the Minerals and Mining Act (Amendment) Bill, HB 1348, and the Employees Compensation Act (Amendment) Bill, HB 1697.

Wins the APC return ticket at Ikare-Akoko by 115 delegate votes to nil.

On 25 February 2023 he is returned with 51,539 votes against 9,014 for his nearest rival.

Classroom blocks at Eyo-Oke High School, Oyin-Akoko, and Okeagbe High School.

The 13-kilometre Arigidi–Okeagbe road, with solar street lighting.

Scholarships for more than a thousand students, from primary to tertiary level.

Ambulances for health centres, 36 solar boreholes and a 500KVA transformer for Ikare.

Named in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first list of 28 ministerial nominees, read to the Senate on 27 July 2023.

Appears before the Senate on the first day of screening, 31 July 2023.

The Senate confirms 45 of 48 nominees, Tunji-Ojo among them.

First slated for Marine and Blue Economy on 16 August, he is reassigned to the Ministry of Interior on 20 August 2023.

Having resigned his seat in a letter to the Speaker dated 18 August — “Our dear country is in dire need of collaborative and concerted efforts” — he takes the oath of office at the State House on 21 August 2023.

The Ministry generates N1.195bn between January and October 2023 against a budget target of N600m.

Federal Marriage Registries approved for Asaba, Akure, Ibadan, Jalingo, Uyo and Makurdi, adding to six automated registries.

Directs that 35% of recruitment into the paramilitary services be reserved for women.

Revenue passes N6bn in 2024 against a N2bn target; 20,851 officers promoted in the year and 10,783 recruited across 2023–24.

The President approves the recruitment of 30,150 personnel into the Ministry’s services.

Presidential approval of lifetime salary for officers retiring at Deputy Comptroller-General level and above; more than 50,000 promotions in two years.

Nigeria becomes the seventh ECOWAS member to issue the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card, launched in Abuja on 28 November 2025.

A backlog of 204,332 passport applications is cleared in about three weeks, with a standing two-week processing timeline announced.

The NIN-based online passport application portal goes live on 8 January 2024.

Twenty-one e-gates installed at Lagos; Abuja’s installation declared complete in June, with Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt to follow.

Contactless passport renewal launches in Canada on 1 November 2024, then across Europe from 7 February 2025.

President Tinubu commissions the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex at NIS headquarters: a command-and-control centre, an 8.3-petabyte data centre and monitoring of over 200 border points.

Visa-on-arrival is replaced by an e-visa from 1 May 2025; overstay penalties and a revised expatriate quota regime take effect.

More than 14,000 visa applications are processed through the new e-visa system in its first six weeks.

A Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre opens at NIS headquarters, the first in the Service’s 62 years, replacing 96 production points with capacity for 5,000 passports a day.

A special passport exercise in London enrols 1,477 applicants in its first four days.

N585m raised from individuals and companies pays the fines of indigent convicts; 4,068 inmates released from centres holding 80,804 people against a capacity under 50,000.

An Independent Investigative Panel on alleged corruption and abuses in the Service is inaugurated; it goes on to visit 86 centres in 23 states.

Cumulative releases pass 10,000; the Minister puts the saving in feeding costs at about N3bn a year.

Receiving the panel’s report, the Minister reports repeat offending falling from 11,616 in 2023 to 3,156 in 2024 and 1,382 in 2025; the President approves a 50% rise in the inmate feeding allowance.

9,582 inmates in vocational training, 1,125 in formal education, 261 undergraduates and 62 postgraduates across 18 National Open University centres; three years without a custodial centre breached by attack.

The Corps is directed to provide armed protection for Federal Fire Service crews on call.

A 2,220-strong Mining Marshals unit is inaugurated with the Minister of Solid Minerals to confront illegal mining.

The Marshals report 671 arrests since 2024, with 397 suspects charged at the Federal High Court and 133 sites raided in the first half of 2026.

Fifteen rapid-response vehicles and six fire trucks are commissioned at Fire Service headquarters, Abuja.

The Minister commissions a new fire station at Toru-Orua, Bayelsa State.

Inspection of the National Fire Academy at Sheda, Abuja, about 65% complete, planned to train crews in hazardous-materials and urban search-and-rescue response.

The Nigeria Fire Extinguisher Control initiative introduces digital traceability for extinguishers, with a target of more than 150,000 jobs.

Backlog of 204,332 cleared, October 2023

Capacity of 5,000 passports daily

Over 14,000 e-visas in six weeks

Recidivism 11,616 to 1,382

Over N6bn revenue in 2024

30,150 recruits approved

671 arrests

4,068 released

Received in his first year in the House.

Doctor of Public Administration, honoris causa, 22 January 2021.

Leadership Newspaper Awards, December 2023.

Presented 24 May 2024.

Aljazirah Newspapers Personality of the Year Awards, 2025.

Obafemi Awolowo University, 13 December 2025.

Presented by Chief Olusegun Osoba at Eko Hotels, Lagos, 24 April 2026; he dedicated it to the President.

Visa is a privilege but passport is a right.

For an organisation to develop, you have to concentrate on building strong institutions rather than strong personalities.

Life was not rosy for us while growing up, but my mother never ceased to fighting for a better reality for me even after losing her husband.

A prison is a place of incarceration, whereas a correctional centre should focus on reformation, transformation, and rehabilitation.

You are the keepers of the future. Your ideas, courage, conviction and curiosity will determine the direction of our nation.

Yesterday belongs to history. What truly defines our future is what we do today.

Don’t judge us by what you hear. Judge us by what you see.

Our creed will always remain Nigeria first, Nigeria second, and Nigeria always.

What you have achieved in passport alone has given this country great reputation internationally.

E-gates inspection at Lagos

2023 Personality of the Year

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