The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has defended the recent 45% increase in Nigerian passport fees, attributing the rise to fluctuations in the exchange rate between the naira and the dollar. Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, marking his first year in office, Tunji-Ojo explained that the government could no longer subsidize the cost of passports.
In August, the Nigerian Immigration Service announced a price hike for Nigerian Standard Passports. Under the new pricing, a 32-page passport booklet with a five-year validity, previously charged at N35,000, now costs N50,000. Meanwhile, a 64-page passport booklet with a 10-year validity has increased from N70,000 to N100,000.
Many Nigerians have expressed dissatisfaction with the new fees, with some accusing the government of making it more expensive for citizens to seek opportunities abroad, a trend popularly referred to as “japa.” However, the minister dismissed the criticism, emphasizing that the increase was necessary given the prevailing economic conditions.
Tunji-Ojo also clarified that the fee adjustment applies only to Nigerians within the country, with no change in passport fees for those living abroad. He said;
“The increase in passport fees is a matter of cost-benefit analysis, especially when you consider the exchange rate between the dollar and the naira. If the government were to subsidise anything, I don’t think it should be passports. The increase is just from N35,000 to N50,000 — only about 45 per cent. There has been no increase for Nigerians abroad.”