The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged the Federal Government to reverse the new passport fees announced by the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The group recently described the hike as unlawful and discriminatory against poor Nigerians.
Recall NIS had disclosed that, effective September 1, 2025, applications within Nigeria would cost N100,000 for the 32-page, five-year validity passport and N200,000 for the 64-page, 10-year validity passport.
Reacting through a letter signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP declared that the increment automatically denies millions of socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians access to passports.
According to the group, the people should not be compelled to spend their limited income on paying unfair fee hikes when they badly need funds for their daily living.
“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 excessive fees instead of spending it on their basic living needs,” it read.
SERAP further noted that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Comptroller General of the NIS, Kemi Nandap, have clearly disregarded the rights of Nigerians with their latest decision.
Kolawole concluded by saying that the senseless increase in passport fees does not align with the provisions of chapters 2 and 4 of the Nigerian Constitution.
“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 and directive principles of state policy and fundamental rights.
Nigerians who cannot afford to pay the excessive fees would be denied the effective enjoyment of their citizenship rights conferred by the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and human rights treaties to which the country is a state party,” it added.
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