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Apostle and nation builder, Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi, has called on the Federal Ministry of Interior to transcend public applause and focus on building a strong national philosophy of citizenship that unites Nigerians across ethnic and religious divides.

In a statement issued recently, the President of Voice of His Word Ministries, Convener of the Apostolic Round Table, and Board Chairman of Project Victory Call Initiative (PVC Naija), argued that while Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo is widely celebrated for his youthful energy and reforms, the true mandate of the ministry lies in shaping Nigeria’s internal sovereignty, protecting citizenship rights, and fostering national belonging.

“The Ministry of Interior is arguably the most important ministry to Nigerians. It regulates migration and residency, manages citizenship and naturalisation, supervises correctional services, coordinates civil defence, and issues travel and identity documents that shape our global perception as a people,” Akinyemi stated.

He noted, however, that policy success requires more than administrative efficiency or glamour. It must be grounded in clear communication, accountability, and a national ideology that inspires pride in the motherland. According to him, rising costs of passports or other bureaucratic measures cannot stem the tide of migration when economic disempowerment remains the root cause.

Drawing lessons from global citizenship ideologies such as the American Dream, Singapore’s multicultural meritocracy, Israel’s homeland security ethos, Rwanda’s Ndi Umunyarwanda, and South Africa’s Rainbow Nation, Akinyemi stressed that Nigeria must craft its own philosophy of citizenship.

He proposed five core pillars: equality of citizenship, service and responsibility, pride in motherland, unity in diversity, and adherence to the rule of law. He argued that the Interior Ministry should be the “midwife” of this philosophy, driving it through policy, civic education, and national communication.

But Akinyemi strongly criticised what he described as the “dangerous silence” of the ministry when Nigerians’ rights are violated. He cited the profiling of Igbo citizens during elections in Lagos as a failure of the ministry to defend the essence of citizenship.

“A ministry that cannot raise its voice when the essence of citizenship is attacked in peacetime cannot hope to secure its mandate in crisis. Silence in such matters is complicity; worse still, it makes a mockery of the very institution tasked with protecting Nigerians at home,” he warned.

He urged Minister Tunji-Ojo to ensure his legacy goes beyond temporary reforms to laying enduring institutional foundations and rebranding the ministry’s mandate for true nationhood.

“The Interior Ministry must step out of silence into vision. It must move from applause to nationhood,” Akinyemi concluded.

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