By: Manoah Kikekon
Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate has launched a scathing critique of the Bola Tinubu administration, labeling its recent 100% hike in international passport fees as an "outrageous" burden on citizens already grappling with a severe economic crisis.
The criticism comes after the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) announced a drastic increase in the cost of passport booklets. The price of a standard 32-page passport has been raised from ₦50,000 to ₦100,000, while the cost of a 64-page booklet has doubled from ₦100,000 to a staggering ₦200,000.
In a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the former presidential candidate expressed alarm that the new fee for a basic passport now exceeds the national minimum wage of ₦70,000.
“Instead of making life easier, this government keeps shifting the burden onto ordinary Nigerians,” Obi wrote. “It is alarming that the price of the international passport is higher than what workers earn in a month.”
Obi highlighted that this is the third such increase in just two years, a move he says reveals the government's "apparent disconnect" from the suffering of its people.
“The obsession of this administration with putting a burden on the populace is becoming legendary,” he stated. “The latest hikes are outrageous when weighed against the country’s current economic realities.”
This latest hike, effective immediately, has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many Nigerians echoing Obi's sentiments. Citizens have expressed frustration, stating that obtaining the crucial travel document is now further out of reach for the average person.
The Tinubu administration had previously increased passport fees in August 2024, raising the 32-page booklet from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000 and the 64-page version from ₦70,000 to ₦100,000. The government and the NIS have cited rising production costs and the need for improved technology as reasons for the incremental hikes.
However, for opposition figures like Peter Obi and countless Nigerians, the move is seen as another punitive measure in a series of economic policies that have increased the cost of living, following the removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.
As of now, the Federal Government has not issued an official response to the growing public backlash against the new passport fee structure.