The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recently announced the upward review of the Nigerian international passport. The information disclosed that this new process will take effect from September 1.
With the new review, a 32-page passport with 5-year validity now costs ₦100,000, while a 64-page passport with 10-year validity costs ₦200,000. This 100 percent increase is occurring at a time when average Nigerians are struggling with rising food, transport, and essential costs, with the inflation rate currently pegged at 21.88%.
This change in passport prices is the second time in barely a year. In 2024, the Tinubu administration increased the 32-page passport with 5-year validity from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000, and the 64-page with 10-year validity from ₦70,000 to ₦100,000 — a 42.9% increase.
The electronic passport, first launched in 2007 during the Umar Musa Yar’Adua administration, replaced paper passports. The cost of obtaining an e-passport was between ₦8,750 and ₦20,000. These travel documents have, however, undergone significant price increases over the years, with the latest being a 100 percent increase.
The NIS said this new price change was done to uphold the quality and integrity of the Nigerian passport.
Nigerians have in the past accused the Tinubu administration of stifling citizens’ consumption power with several tax bills introduced, with only 2.4 percent of Nigerians earning above ₦200,000 monthly.
The e-passport has become a growing source of revenue for Nigeria. In 2018, NIS generated a total of ₦39.06bn through the issuance of passports and other services. Also, between 2007 and December 2017, the passport generated over ₦151.45bn.
Nigerians feel different about this review
While the NIS has said the new passport review was a positive step, citizens have reacted differently.
Richard Okunola on X said that an initial notice by the government should have been issued before going ahead with the review that is to be implemented less than four days after the disclosure.
According to him, while a pay increase may be justified, attempting to enforce it immediately suggests a lack of effective leadership communication.
“In an ideal world, giving a 3–6 month notice for any significant change like this should be a common practice for all government agencies/parastatals. In fact, it should be part of the annual government policy review. I’ve noticed this pattern of immediate urge to achieve results without making room for adequate time to adjust on the part of the customers,” he said.
Adékúnlé Odérìndé noted that the increase in e-passports is aimed at generating revenues to achieve the FG’s one-trillion-dollar economy.
“It will not stop with the new price. In fact, Nigerians living in the diaspora are the ones subsidising the passport cost for Nigerians in Nigeria,” he said on X.
Okunola, who expressed concerns that passport applications undergo a long application process, said, “A responsible government should not only chase money but also deliver on promises.”
However, the FG has assured Nigerians that passports will now be delivered within one week of enrolment, following sweeping reforms in the issuance process.
According to the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Nigerians would now get their passports 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,” he said.
Lawyer Bolaji Oluwatosin told Within Nigeria that the increase is an official extortion dressed in an official seal.
Citing section 41 of the 1999 Constitution, he said that the APC-led government has found a way to turn this constitutional right into an expensive privilege.
“Nigerians are already stranded in their own fatherland. The Naira has collapsed, food is priced in despair, and minimum wage cannot buy minimum survival. Now, to simply exercise that right of movement, citizens must cough out more money for passports, as though leaving Nigeria has been declared a luxury reserved for the rich and connected,” he said.
Nigeria’s passport ranks low in Africa
Nigerian passport holders can still only access 45 destinations visa-free or with a visa-on-arrival, placing Nigeria among the weakest passports on the African continent. Nigeria’s passport currently ranks 88th globally, with only countries like South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia ranking lower.
When compared to neighbouring countries, Ghana ranks around 74th globally, offering its citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 68 destinations—23 more than Nigeria. Also, other African countries such as Kenya, Namibia, and Botswana rank higher.
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