President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved an 18-month extension of the tenures of the heads of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
The disclosure was contained in a press statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday, October 19, 2026.
The extension will keep Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, Controller-General of the NCoS, in office until May 26, 2028, while Kemi Nanna Nandap, Comptroller-General of the NIS, will remain in office until June 30, 2028.
Tinubu Extends Tenures of Service Chiefs
Onanuga said the approval followed a recommendation from Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to address succession gaps in both services and give the board sufficient time to appoint successors.
The presidential statement confirmed the extension of both officials’ tenures.
The statement said the approval covers an additional 18 months for Nwakuche and Nandap.
Nwakuche’s tenure will now end on May 26, 2028, while Nandap’s will end on June 30, 2028.
The extension followed a recommendation by the Minister of Interior to address succession gaps in both services.
The arrangement is expected to give the board enough time to appoint successors.
The statement added that the President commended both service chiefs for the reforms achieved under their leadership and urged them to consolidate the gains.
Immigration and Correctional Service Reforms
The presidency highlighted several operational, digital and regulatory reforms undertaken by the two services in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Interior.
Reforms at the Nigeria Immigration Service include changes to visa processing, work permits, resident permits, passport fees and processing, as well as border management and control.
At the Nigerian Correctional Service, key initiatives include implementing alternatives to imprisonment where appropriate and relocating overcrowded urban prisons.
Tinubu charged both officials to build on the progress recorded under their leadership.
Nwakuche was nominated by Tinubu as Controller-General of the NCoS in December 2024, and the Senate confirmed his appointment in March 2025.
Nandap was nominated as Comptroller-General of the NIS on February 21, 2024, and her appointment was confirmed by the Senate on March 1, 2024.
What you should know
The two services have also undertaken personnel and passport-processing initiatives in recent months.
In December 2025, the NCoS announced the promotion of 16,582 officers under the 2025 Senior and Junior Officers Promotion exercise approved by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB).
The exercise covered personnel nationwide, from Controllers of Corrections to Inspectors of Corrections.
A total of 11,417 senior officers were promoted to their next ranks.
Another 4,253 junior officers also received promotions.
The service described the exercise as one of its most significant career advancement exercises, recognising officers’ service.
Meanwhile, in August 2026, the NIS deployed a dedicated Passport Intervention Team to the United Kingdom to process pending applications, enrol new applicants and handle renewals for Nigerians in the diaspora.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo directed the deployment and instructed Nandap to send the team from NIS headquarters to work with the Nigerian High Commission in London.
The intervention covered applicants with pending passport applications, new applicants and passport holders whose documents had less than one year before expiry and who wished to renew them.
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