The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Federal Government to reverse the new passport fees announced by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), describing the increase as unlawful and discriminatory against poor Nigerians.
The NIS had announced that, effective Sept. 1, 2025, a 32-page, five-year validity passport would cost N100,000, while the 64-page, 10-year validity passport would be issued at N200,000.
The review comes less than a year after a similar increment in Sept. 2024.
In a letter to the Federal Government dated Aug. 30 and signed by its Deputy Director, Mr. Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said the policy would deny millions of vulnerable Nigerians access to passports.
“Millions of disadvantaged Nigerians cannot realistically afford to pay the increased fees.
“These Nigerians should not be forced to spend their limited and grossly inadequate income to pay the increased fees instead of spending it on their basic living needs,” the group said.
SERAP accused the Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Comptroller General of NIS, Mrs. Kemi Nandap, of failing to balance revenue generation with citizens’ rights.
“The Minister of Interior and the Comptroller General of the NIS acted unlawfully when they arbitrarily increased the passport fees.
“The unreasonable and disproportionate increase in passport fees is incompatible with the provisions of chapters 2 and 4 of the Nigerian Constitution covering fundamental objectives, directive principles of state policy, and fundamental rights,” it added.
The organisation said Nigerians unable to pay the “excessive” fees would be deprived of the enjoyment of their constitutional rights to citizenship and international treaties to which Nigeria is a party.
It warned that the increment at a time of economic hardship would deepen poverty across the country.
SERAP gave the Federal Government seven days to reverse the hike or face legal action.