SERAP Battles FG Over Passport Fee Hike
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Federal Government to urgently reverse the new passport fees announced by the Nigeria Immigration Service.
In a statement in Sunday, SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, described the increase as arbitrary, unlawful, and discriminatory against poor Nigerians.
The group said decision would amount to a denial of access to passports for millions of socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians.
“Millions of disadvantaged Nigerians cannot realistically afford to pay the increased fees,” the statement read.
“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 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.”
SERAP stated that “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 further cautioned that the unlawful increase in passport fees at a time the country is facing economic and financial crises would contribute further to the impoverishment of the population.
Earlier, the Nigerian Immigration Service announved 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.
The hike comes less than a year after a similar upward review in September 2024.
