The Nigerian government has defended its decision to more than double the cost of passports, arguing that higher fees are essential to curb corruption, guarantee timely delivery and maintain the integrity of the country’s travel documents.
From 1 September 2025, Nigerians applying at home will pay ₦100,000 for a 32-page passport valid for five years, and ₦200,000 for the 64-page booklet valid for 10 years, according to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). Those abroad will continue to pay $150 and $230 respectively.
The increase comes just a year after a previous hike, which raised fees from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000 for the 32-page booklet and from ₦70,000 to ₦100,000 for the 64-page passport.
Speaking at a mid-term performance retreat in Abuja, the interior minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, defended the latest rise, insisting it was a necessary step to end what he called “an era of extortion and endless delays”.
“Our target is very clear: within one week of enrolment, every Nigerian should have their passport in hand,” he said. “Not just delivering quickly, but delivering quality passports that reflect our integrity as a nation.”
Tunji-Ojo said the government had inherited a backlog of six months, which was cleared “in two and a half weeks”, but stressed that the new system would prevent a return to the old order, where some Nigerians were forced to wait seven months or pay up to ₦200,000 to fast-track applications.
He added a personal anecdote: “Even when I was chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, my own daughter wanted a passport and it was a problem. I had to pay hundreds of thousands to be able to get a passport for my 12-year-old girl. That era is over.”
A new centralised personalisation centre, described as the largest in Africa, would ensure faster processing and enhanced security, the minister said. The facility could print “five times more passports than we currently need”, with vetting taking no more than 24 hours.
As part of the reforms, Passport Control Officers (PCOs) will no longer have the power to approve or withhold applications. “Some PCOs had so much power that they could decide not to approve or print a passport until they were settled. That abuse of power ends now,” Tunji-Ojo declared.
Approval will now be centralised, he added, to reduce human contact and cut opportunities for corruption.
The minister also linked the reforms to national security, recalling cases where foreigners had procured Nigerian passports illegally. “In one incident, a Ugandan woman carrying a Nigerian passport was arrested at Lagos Airport after paying $1,000 to procure it. That cannot continue. Our passport must remain a true symbol of Nigerian identity,” he said.
