FG Justifies Passport Hike to ₦100,000, ₦200,000

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By Daniel Faith

The Federal Government has defended its decision to increase the cost of Nigerian passports to ₦100,000 and ₦200,000, insisting the move will sustain quality, curb corruption, and guarantee timely delivery.

According to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), from September 1, 2025, applications made within Nigeria will attract ₦100,000 for the 32-page, five-year passport, and ₦200,000 for the 64-page, 10-year booklet.

In a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, ACI AS Akinlabi, the NIS explained that the new price review applies only to applications within Nigeria. Nigerians in the diaspora will continue to pay $150 for the 32-page option and $230 for the 64-page booklet.

A Step to End Delays

The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, defended the upward review during the ministry’s mid-tenure performance retreat in Abuja.

“Our target is very clear: within one week of enrolment, every Nigerian should have their passport in hand. Not just quickly, but with quality that reflects our national integrity,” he assured.

The minister said the hike was introduced to eliminate long processing delays and extortion that previously forced some Nigerians to pay as much as ₦200,000 illegally or wait up to seven months for their passports.

Previous Hike Just Last Year

The development comes barely a year after the government last reviewed passport fees in August 2024, when the 32-page booklet rose from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000, and the 64-page from ₦70,000 to ₦100,000.

At that time, authorities said the increment was necessary to sustain production costs and improve service delivery.

Stronger System, More Security

Tunji-Ojo highlighted that the newly established centralised personalisation centre, said to be the largest in Africa, has changed the game for passport processing.

“With this facility, we can now print five times more passports than Nigeria currently requires. Once you enrol, it doesn’t take more than 24 hours to vet,” he explained.

He stressed that printing capacity is no longer a challenge, assuring citizens that the new structure would make delivery faster and more secure.

Corruption Clampdown

As part of reforms, the minister announced that Passport Control Officers (PCOs) will no longer have the power to approve or delay passport applications.

“Some PCOs abused their powers by withholding approval until they were ‘settled’. That ends now,” he declared.

According to him, centralising the approval process will drastically cut corruption and restore the credibility of Nigeria’s travel documents.

“The best way to fight corruption is to reduce human contact to the barest minimum. Passport approval is no longer in the hands of PCOs. My duty is not to make them comfortable but to make Nigerians happy,” Tunji-Ojo said.