By Omoniyi David
The Federal Government has announced plans to arm vetted private security firms and license private firefighting companies as part of sweeping reforms in the Ministry of Interior.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Thursday during the ministry’s Mid-Tenure/2025 Sectoral Retreat at Zuma Rock Resorts, Suleja.
He said the reforms are aimed at strengthening security, modernising emergency response, and easing pressure on overstretched agencies.
On passport issuance, Tunji-Ojo revealed that Nigeria’s immigration system had undergone a “fundamental overhaul,” with the establishment of a new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre, the largest in Africa – at no additional cost to government.
He assured that Nigerians will now receive passports within seven days.
Addressing security reforms, the minister described the 1986 Private Guards Act as obsolete, backing its repeal.
He argued that with a population of over 230 million, Nigeria must allow thoroughly vetted private security firms to bear arms.
“If we don’t allow some of them, not all, to carry weapons, then what we have is not really security, but just gate men,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo proposed that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), should regulate armed private security through profiling and vetting, while the Interior Ministry would oversee corporate licensing with strict accountability measures to prevent abuse.
On firefighting reforms, he lamented that the 1963 law establishing the Federal Fire Service (FFS) had rendered it “a toothless dog” without prosecutorial or regulatory powers.
He therefore recommended licensing private firefighting and rescue companies, stressing that government alone cannot meet modern emergency demands.
“In the US and UK, emergency medical services are under the fire service. That is what we must aim for. If we fail in emergency response, we fail the economy,” he warned.
The minister urged the National Assembly, stakeholders, and the private sector to support the reforms, which he said would build a modern fire and rescue framework capable of protecting lives and property while boosting investor confidence.
