President Bola Tinubu has approved an 18-month extension of the tenures of Sylvester Nwakuche, Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), and Kemi Nandap, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

The approval was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

Onanuga said Nwakuche’s tenure would now run until May 26, 2028, while Nandap’s tenure had been extended until June 30, 2028.

He explained that the extension followed a recommendation by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to address succession gaps in the two agencies and give their respective boards adequate time to appoint successors.

According to the statement, Tinubu commended both service chiefs for the reforms recorded under their leadership and urged them to sustain the progress made.

“President Tinubu commended Nwakuche and Nandap for the reforms achieved under their leadership and charged them to consolidate these gains,” the statement read.

Nwakuche was nominated by Tinubu as Controller-General of the NCS in December 2024, while 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.

The Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, provides for the appointment of a Controller-General to head the service, subject to Senate confirmation. It stipulates a single five-year tenure, subject to applicable retirement limits.

Similarly, the Immigration Act, 2015, empowers the President to appoint the Comptroller-General of the NIS on the recommendation of the Nigeria Immigration Service Board, subject to Senate confirmation.

However, the Immigration Act does not prescribe a specific tenure for the office of the Comptroller-General.