The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has slammed the federal government for the recent hike in the price of procuring passports.
According to the former Anambra State governor, the President Bola Tinubu administration has placed another burden on the populace instead of alleviate it.
In a tweet posted on Thursday night he wrote, “The obsession of this administration with putting a burden on the populace is becoming legendary and continues to reveal its apparent disconnect with the people and the suffering.
“The International Passport fees in Nigeria have now skyrocketed to ₦100,000 for a 32-page booklet and ₦200,000 for 64 pages. This is the third increase in just two years.
“In a country where the new minimum wage is only ₦70,000, the cost of a single passport now exceeds a worker’s monthly salary, probably the only country in the world to achieve this feat.
“Instead of making life easier, this government keeps shifting the burden onto ordinary Nigerians. It is alarming that the price of the international passport is higher than what workers earn in a month. -PO”
Recall, that the Nigeria Immigration Service announced a fresh upward review of passport application fees on Thursday, with new rates set to take effect from September 1, 2025.
In a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, A. S. Akinlabi, the revised fees apply strictly to applications made within Nigeria.
According to the new structure, a 32-page passport with a five-year validity will now cost ₦100,000, while the 64-page booklet with a ten-year validity has been pegged at ₦200,000.
“The review, which only affects passport applications within Nigeria, sets a new fee threshold of ₦100,000 for the 32-page passport and ₦200,000 for the 64-page booklet,” Akinlabi said.
However, the agency clarified that charges for Nigerians applying from abroad remain unchanged at $150 for the 32-page, five-year passport and $230 for the 64-page, ten-year document.
Explaining the reason behind the hike, the NIS stated that the move was necessary to preserve the quality of Nigerian passports and ensure efficient service delivery.
“This adjustment is aimed at maintaining the integrity and standard of the Nigerian passport while ensuring that citizens continue to access a reliable document for international travel,” the statement added.
This development marks the second increment in just a year. In August 2024, the Federal Government approved a hike that took effect the following month, raising the 32-page booklet from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000 and the 64-page option from ₦70,000 to ₦100,000.
