Deborah Akinyosoye
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), yesterday, announced that by September 1, 2025, Nigerians would have to pay more to get the International Passport due to current ongoing reforms in the sector and that a new passport processing fee would be introduced, signalling a 100 per cent increase from the initial price it was moved to last year.
According to the Service, the 32-page five-year validity Nigerian International Passport, which was increased late last year to N50,000 from N25,000, will now be obtained at the cost of N100,000, while the 64-page document that rose from N70,000 last year to N100,000 will now be processed at the cost of N200,000.
However, different reactions have trailed the upward review in the cost of the passport. Nigerians are, however, unhappy by the new development, with many describing it as toxic and a clear disregard and insensitivity of the government to the hardship faced by the populace.
Reacting to the new increase, National Coordinator, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Emmanuel Owubuko, said the review is not only toxic, but also unwarranted, especially at a time that millions of Nigerians can barely afford three square meals per day and over 130 million Nigerian households suffer from multidimensional poverty.
An X user @pioneerjoshua8 wrote: “Effective September 1. Have you all ever done anything that will benefit the masses? No! It’s always squeezing the already squeezed and surviving Nigerians.
Also reacting, @tjvirus said: “You should have just rounded it up to a million naira. N200 is too small. Reforms are tough and we must pay the price.”
However, some social media respondents have said that the increase is part of ongoing reforms in the sector and Nigerians must endure the pain and pay the price for the best service delivery.
@ambdotman wrote: “Valuable and effective services will surely come at a cost. Surely, Nigerians will see results for the money.” Others also said that the Nigerian International Passport is a document that every Nigerian ordinarily should have and the fee is relatively expensive.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has announced that passports will now be delivered within one week of enrolment, following significant reforms in the issuance process.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, stated this during a mid-tenure performance retreat for the ministry and its parastatals, yesterday in Abuja. He said: “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.”
Tunji-Ojo highlighted that the new system aims to eliminate the long delays and extortion that often leave citizens waiting six to seven months or paying up to N200,000 for expedited processing.
The minister, who further emphasised the importance of safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s passports, cited past incidents of foreigners obtaining Nigerian passports illegally, underscoring that the new vetting procedures would restore trust in the system.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian International Passport has witnessed major fee hikes since the introduction of the updated e-passport in 2019, and the fees have more than quadrupled since then.
From N19,000 and N24,000, respectively, in 2017, passport with 32-page and 64-page five-year validity attracted N25,000 and N35,000, respectively, while the one with 64-page and 10-year validity was issued for N70,000 in 2019.