Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, has faulted the federal government over the latest hike in international passport fees, describing it as an unbearable burden on ordinary Nigerians.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recently increased the cost of a 32-page passport booklet to N100,000, while the 64-page booklet now goes for N200,000.
Reacting in a statement on his X page, Obi said the new charges are outrageous when weighed against the country’s current economic realities.
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“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.
“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.”
He said Nigeria is probably the only country in the world where the price of passport is higher than the minimum wage.
“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.
“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”, he said.
The fresh adjustment comes barely a year after a similar upward review. In August 2024, the federal government raised the price of a 32-page, five-year passport booklet from N35,000 to N50,000, while the 64-page, 10-year booklet went from N70,000 to N100,000.