President Bola Tinubu has approved an additional 18 months in office for the heads of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), extending their tenures to 2028.
The approval covers Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, and Kemi Nanna Nandap, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service. According to a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on October 19, 2026, Nwakuche will remain in office until May 26, 2028, while Nandap’s tenure will end on June 30, 2028.
The extension followed a recommendation by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, to address succession gaps in both agencies and give the relevant boards sufficient time to appoint replacements. The presidential statement said, “The approval, which followed a recommendation by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, addressed a succession gap in both Services and would allow the board enough time to appoint successors.”
Tinubu also commended the two service chiefs for reforms introduced under their leadership and urged them to sustain the progress recorded. At the Nigeria Immigration Service, recent reforms have focused on visa processing, work permits, residence permits, passport applications and border management. These changes are intended to improve service delivery and strengthen immigration administration.
The service has also taken steps to address passport processing delays affecting Nigerians at home and abroad. In August 2026, it deployed a dedicated passport intervention team to the United Kingdom to process pending applications, enrol new applicants and handle renewals for Nigerians living there. The Nigerian Correctional Service has also introduced changes to its operations, including the use of alternatives to imprisonment where appropriate and plans to relocate overcrowded prisons in urban areas.
Nwakuche was nominated by Tinubu to lead the Correctional Service in December 2024, and the Senate confirmed his appointment in March 2025. Nandap was nominated to head the Immigration Service on February 21, 2024, and received Senate confirmation on March 1, 2024. The latest approval gives both officials additional time to continue their work while the authorities prepare for leadership transitions.
However, the extension also raises questions about succession planning within federal security and administrative agencies, particularly the need for clear and predictable leadership transition arrangements.
For now, the government has stated that the decision is intended to prevent leadership gaps and allow the appointment process to proceed without disruption. Both officials are expected to continue implementing reforms in their respective agencies during the extended period.
