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22 hours ago
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Former presidential candidate if the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has slammed the Federal Government following the latest increase in Nigerian passport fees, saying it is yet another burden on the struggling and already burdened citizens.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), had on Thursday, announced new fees for the Nigerian passports, where a 32-page passport with five-year validity will cost ₦100,000, while a 64-page passport with 10-year validity will cost ₦200,000, with effect from from September 1, 2025.
According to the NIS, the new rates will apply only to applications made within Nigeria, while fees for Nigerians abroad remain at $150 and $230, respectively.
But while reacting to the increase in a post on his X account on Thursday night, the former Anambra State Governor condemned the government’s decision which he termed as insensitive in light of the current economic hardship in the country.
Obi also frowned at the new fees, saying they are even higher than the minimum wage of N70,000 which was approved for Nigerian workers by the President Bola Tinubu administration.
‘The obsession of this administration with putting a burden on the populace is becoming legendary and continues to reveal its apparent disconnect with the people and the suffering,” Obi wrote in the post.
“The International Passport fees in Nigeria have now skyrocketed to ₦100,000 for a 32-page booklet and ₦200,000 for 64 pages. This is the third increase in just two years.
“In a country where the new minimum wage is only ₦70,000, the cost of a single passport now exceeds a worker’s monthly salary, probably the only country in the world to achieve this feat.
“Instead of making life easier, this government keeps shifting the burden onto ordinary Nigerians. It is alarming that the price of the international passport is higher than what workers earn in a month.”
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