Tinubu extends tenures of correctional, immigration chiefs by 18 months

President Bola Tinubu has approved an 18-month extension for the heads of two federal agencies that Nigerians deal with at some of life's most difficult moments: the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

The announcement was made in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the President's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.

With the approval, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, Controller-General of the NCS, will stay in office until May 26, 2028. Kemi Nanna Nandap, Comptroller-General of the NIS, will remain until June 30, 2028.

Why the extension

According to the statement, the extension followed a recommendation from the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. The aim, it said, is to prevent a leadership gap in both services and give their boards enough time to appoint successors.

Tinubu also commended both officials for the reforms recorded under their leadership and asked them to build on the progress.

Nwakuche was nominated to lead the correctional service in December 2024, and the Senate confirmed him in March 2025. Nandap was nominated on February 21, 2024, and confirmed by the Senate on March 1, 2024.

What it means for Nigerians

The NCS runs the country's prisons and handles people awaiting trial, a group that has long strained the system. The NIS controls passports, visas and border posts, services many Nigerians depend on for travel, study and work abroad.

Keeping both chiefs in place means the reforms they have started are expected to continue rather than pause for a handover. The statement did not give details of those reforms.

Both agencies sit under the Ministry of Interior, which has pushed changes in passport processing and prison congestion in recent years.

What happens next: The two officials will serve out the extended terms, while the boards of both services prepare to name successors ahead of the 2028 handover dates.