President Bola 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), allowing both officials to remain in office until 2028.
Under the arrangement, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, will continue in office until May 26, 2028, while the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nanna Nandap, is expected to serve until June 30, 2028.
The extension was announced on Monday by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, in an official statement.
According to the statement, the President approved the extension following a recommendation from the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
The recommendation was reportedly aimed at preventing a leadership vacuum in the two agencies and providing their respective governing boards with sufficient time to complete the process of appointing successors.
Tinubu also commended the two service chiefs for the reforms introduced during their time in office, urging them to sustain and strengthen the progress already recorded.
“President Tinubu commended Nwakuche and Nandap for the reforms achieved under their leadership and charged them to consolidate these gains,” Onanuga stated.
The decision will see both officials remain in their respective positions beyond their previously expected retirement or exit dates, with their leadership continuing as the Federal Government works towards an orderly succession process.
Nwakuche was nominated by President Tinubu to head the Nigerian Correctional Service in December 2024. The Senate subsequently confirmed his appointment in March 2025.
Nandap, on the other hand, was nominated as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service on February 21, 2024, and received Senate confirmation on March 1, 2024.
The two agencies operate under the Ministry of Interior, with responsibilities covering correctional facilities and inmate management, as well as immigration control, border security and the administration of travel documents.
The tenure extensions are expected to allow both service chiefs to continue implementing ongoing reforms while the relevant authorities prepare for the appointment of their successors.
