The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Federal Government to immediately reverse the new passport fees introduced by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
In a statement issued on Sunday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, described the increase as arbitrary, unlawful, and discriminatory against poor Nigerians. He warned that the decision would deny millions of socially and economically vulnerable citizens access to passports.
“Millions of disadvantaged Nigerians cannot realistically afford the increased fees,” the statement read. “They should not be forced to divert their meagre income to pay for passports at the expense of their basic needs.”
SERAP argued that the Interior Minister and the Comptroller General of Immigration acted unlawfully by arbitrarily hiking the charges, stressing that the move violated chapters 2 and 4 of the Nigerian Constitution, which safeguard social rights and fundamental freedoms.
The group noted that citizens unable to pay the fees would effectively be denied the enjoyment of their constitutional rights, including freedom of movement and other entitlements tied to citizenship.
It further cautioned that introducing such a steep increase during a period of economic hardship would deepen poverty levels across the country.
The NIS had announced that, effective 1 September 2025, applications within Nigeria would cost ₦100,000 for the 32-page, five-year validity passport, and ₦200,000 for the 64-page, 10-year validity passport. This comes less than a year after a similar upward review in September 2024.