FG Defends New Passport Fees, Says Hike Will End ‘Extortion’ and ‘Delays’
The Federal Government has defended its decision to raise the cost of obtaining Nigerian passports to ₦100,000 and ₦200,000, stating that the increase is aimed at improving efficiency, curbing corruption, and safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s travel documents. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, ACI AS Akinlabi, announced on Thursday that the new fees will take effect from September 1, 2025.
Under the revised structure, applications processed within Nigeria will cost ₦100,000 for a 32-page, five-year booklet and ₦200,000 for a 64-page, 10-year booklet, while Nigerians abroad will continue to pay $150 and $230, respectively.
According to the NIS, the upward review is designed to sustain passport quality and ensure faster service delivery.
Speaking during the Ministry of Interior’s mid-tenure performance retreat in Abuja, Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the hike would help achieve timely processing and eliminate corruption in the system.
“Our target is very clear: within one week of enrolment, every Nigerian should have their passport in hand. Not just delivering quickly, but delivering quality passports that reflect our integrity as a nation,” the minister stated.
He recalled how passport applicants previously waited for several months or paid huge sums to expedite processing. Sharing a personal experience, Tunji-Ojo revealed that even his 12-year-old daughter’s application once cost him hundreds of thousands of naira to secure.
The minister highlighted reforms, including a centralised personalisation centre, now the largest in Africa, which has significantly boosted production capacity—allowing the printing of five times more passports than current demand.
“The best way to cut corruption is to remove human contact to the barest minimum. Passport approval will no longer rest with PCOs. Let Nigerians be happy,” he said.
He further announced that Passport Control Officers (PCOs) will no longer have the authority to delay or withhold applications, a move expected to curb abuse of power.
“Some PCOs had so much power that they could decide not to approve or print a passport until they were settled. That abuse of power ends now,” he added.
Tunji-Ojo stressed that the reforms are also intended to protect national identity, citing past incidents where non-Nigerians fraudulently obtained Nigerian passports.
“My responsibility is not just to make passports available, but to ensure that anybody carrying it is a Nigerian. If you are not a Nigerian, you cannot carry it. It’s about our national integrity,” he said.
The latest increase follows a similar review in August 2024, when the fees for the 32-page booklet were raised from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000 and for the 64-page booklet from ₦70,000 to ₦100,000.