Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has criticised the federal government over the hike in international passport fees, describing it as another example of the administration’s insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.
The Nigerian Immigration Service on Thursday announced a 100 per cent hike in the cost of an international passport. 32-page booklet, which costs N50,000, will now go for N100,000 and a 64-page booklet, currently at N100,000, will cost N200,000 effective from September 1, 2025..
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Obi said the increase further highlighted the government’s “apparent disconnect with the people and the suffering” they are facing.
“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,” Obi wrote.
“In a country where the new minimum wage is only N70,000, the cost of a single passport now exceeds a worker’s monthly salary, probably the only country in the world to achieve this feat,” Obi said.
He lamented that rather than provide relief, the government keeps transferring economic hardship onto citizens already grappling with rising living costs.
“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,” Obi added.
The former Anambra governor’s comments come amid growing concerns over the affordability of essential services in Nigeria, following a series of reforms that have triggered sharp increases in the cost of living.
