Peter Obi has condemned the Federal Government’s decision to increase Nigerian passport fees again.
He said the hike burdens struggling citizens, noting costs now exceed average workers’ monthly wages.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has strongly criticized the Federal Government over the latest hike in passport fees, describing it as an additional weight on citizens already battling economic hardship.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Thursday announced that, beginning September 1, 2025, a 32-page passport with five-year validity will cost ₦100,000, while a 64-page passport valid for 10 years will be issued at ₦200,000. The new charges apply only within Nigeria. Fees for applicants abroad remain fixed at $150 and $230, respectively.
Reacting through a post on his X handle, Obi said the decision reflects a lack of empathy for the suffering masses. He argued that the government appears more focused on “loading the people with heavy costs rather than easing their burdens.”
He pointed out that this marks the third increase in less than two years, a pattern he described as unjustifiable. “The price of international passports has now risen to ₦100,000 for the 32-page booklet and ₦200,000 for the 64-page version, which is completely out of reach for the average worker,” he wrote.
Obi further decried the sharp contrast between wages and the cost of essential documents, stressing that Nigeria might be the only country where a basic passport costs more than a month’s salary. “With a new minimum wage of ₦70,000, it is absurd that a worker must spend beyond that amount just to obtain a passport,” he noted.
He urged the government to reconsider its approach, warning that such policies deepen citizens’ struggles instead of alleviating them. According to him, “rather than making life better, the administration is repeatedly shifting the weight of poor economic management onto the shoulders of ordinary Nigerians.”
