Nigeria’s Passport Fee Hike Is Turning The Right To Mobility Into Privilege

Nigeria has raised passport fees again — barely a year after the last hike — deepening concerns about access, mobility, and Nigerians’ place in global citizenship.

THE Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS)  announced that starting 1 September 2025, a standard 32-page Nigerian passport valid for five years will cost ₦100,000, and a 64-page passport with 10-year validity would cost ₦200,000. A figure that’s at least two times the national minimum wage of ₦70,000. For many citizens, this isn’t just an administrative change; it’s a potential barrier to opportunity, migration, and identity in the global arena.

This hike in the passport fee is coming barely a year after the previous price change, which took effect from 1 September 2024. At the time, NIS increased the 32-page, five-year passport booklet from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000, while the 64-page, 10-year booklet went from ₦70,000 to ₦100,000. The Immigration Service, in its defence, stated that the new price was to improve the application process. Also, it would help with security features, new passport offices, shorter turnaround times and localising passport production.

However, the NIS reiterated that this price change will only affect Nigerians applying within the country. Passport fees for Nigerians in the diaspora remain unchanged at $150 for the 32‑page and $230 for the 64‑page passport.

The government’s stated goals of enhancing quality and security are seemingly laudable. Yet raising fees to such a high threshold risks turning passports from tools of empowerment into markers of privilege.

Passports shouldn’t be a luxury

For many Nigerians, a passport isn’t just a travel document; it’s a lifeline to education, healthcare, family reunions, and economic opportunity abroad. Treating it as a luxury item, priced far out of reach for millions, reinforces a dangerous inequality. While elite travellers may adjust without blinking. The average citizen, already navigating inflation and economic uncertainty, will be left behind.

Nigerians often have issues crossing borders. Many Nigerians would argue that the value of the Nigerian passport needs to be strengthened. At border control the Nigerian passport tends to cause more problems than solutions. Nigerians face a hard time when trying to access travel visas, school visas and work visas because of the stigma attached to Nigeria’s reputation.

What does global citizenship look like for Nigerians?

As other countries expand access to international travel and digital nomad programs, Nigeria’s new passport pricing raises a deeper question: who gets to participate in the global economy? Is upward mobility only for the few who can afford it? If the nation truly prioritises global engagement, it should protect passport access and not make it too expensive.

It is tough getting the Nigerian passport, unlike in other countries where they get theirs the same day or the next. In Nigeria, many applicants wait several months after payment before being called for passport capturing and collection. Some even pay extra fees to expedite retrieval. Yet, others have shared online that they experienced a seamless application process. While the Nigerian Immigration Service is working to streamline applications, much more needs to be done beyond raising fees. The proper focus should be on strengthening the value of the Nigerian passport and ensuring citizens face fewer hurdles at foreign airports.

Nigerians in the diaspora also face major challenges with passport applications. Last year, the Nigerian Immigration Service introduced an online platform for applications, but it was slow and unreliable. Many foreign passport offices take months just to secure an appointment, and even longer to deliver the passport. The process remains riddled with complications, a reflection of a chaotic system in need of major reforms.

However, Nigerians remain sceptical that the increase in fees will change the current issues with the Nigerian passport services. Moreover, the question of why such a steep hike is being introduced during our current economic climate is pressing. For a passport that holds limited global power, why would the NIS restrict access to the average Nigerian? Mobility offers the average Nigerian a chance to explore other cultures and new opportunities. Instead, they should prioritise making travel more accessible rather than making it increasingly out of reach. As with many other things in Nigeria, many people will have to accept this new price change and move on. Without clear improvements in service delivery, transparency, and turnaround time, the new pricing risks deepening public distrust rather than restoring confidence.

(Marie Claire Nigeria via The Guardian)

– Patricia Ellah is the Features Editor at Marie Claire Nigeria. She is a writer, photographer, and visual storyteller. She studied Photography and Writing at Parsons The New School of Design. Her work has been published, exhibited, and collected across North America. Recently, her photographs were acquired by Library and Archives Canada.