The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Federal Government to urgently reverse the recently announced increase in passport fees by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
In a statement on Sunday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, described the hike as arbitrary, unlawful, and discriminatory against poor Nigerians, warning that it would deny millions of vulnerable citizens 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 stated.
SERAP argued that the Minister of Interior and the Comptroller General of the NIS acted unlawfully by arbitrarily raising the charges, stressing that the “unreasonable and disproportionate increase” violates chapters 2 and 4 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee fundamental rights and directive principles of state policy.
According to the group, the hike could further impoverish citizens amid worsening economic hardship, while also undermining their constitutional and human rights, including the effective enjoyment of citizenship.
The NIS had earlier announced that effective September 1, 2025, applicants in Nigeria would pay N100,000 for the 32-page, five-year passport and N200,000 for the 64-page, 10-year passport. The new charges come less than a year after a similar upward review in September 2024.
