The Federal Government decision to raise the cost of international passports has sparked mixed reactions across social media, with many Nigerians questioning the timing, affordability, and fairness of the new policy.
Other Nigerians however, commended the move, stressing that reformations do not come without costs.
Under the new fees announced by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on Thursday, a 32-page booklet will now cost ₦100,000, while a 64-page passport booklet was pegged at ₦200,000 — the third increase in two years.
The move has triggered a heated debate, especially as the hike comes barely months after the government approved a ₦70,000 national minimum wage.
RELATED: ‘Passport Now Costs More Than Minimum Wage’, Obi Slams Federal Gov’t Over Fees Hike
On X (formerly Twitter), several users accused the government of being insensitive to the plight of ordinary citizens.
@richarddokunolar criticised the sudden implementation of the new charges without prior notice, describing it as a sign of “poor leadership communication.”
He wrote, “It has become a pattern for the govt to always want to achieve results instantaneously. In an ideal world, giving a 3-6 month notice for any significant change like this should be a common practice…
“Attempting to enforce it immediately suggests a lack of effective leadership communication. While the passport process has improved, applications still take forever to be processed locally despite paying more.
“A responsible government should not only chase money but also deliver on promises. A passport should be ready in 30 days if there are no issues with the application.”
Some users defended the increase, arguing that reforms often come with costs.
@ekitiketekan posted, “Reforms and innovation come with a price,” while @Horiyourme noted, “It only makes sense to review the price. We understand the material being used for the passport has become expensive. It’ll be unreasonable to expect the government to bear the cost.”
But others condemned the hike as unnecessary and exploitative.
@ourt_destiny mocked the timing, saying, “NIS wakes up on a Thursday to tell over 237 million Nigerians, passport will increase effective on Monday.”
Echoing this frustration, @adekunleoderind accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of overburdening citizens in pursuit of economic goals.
“Why is Tinubu’s administration insisting on taxing the poverty to achieve his lifetime ambition of a $1 trillion economy? When he gets there, what is the gain of the people? Why not create an enabling environment for business to grow and people to work?”
Some Nigerians reacted with sarcasm. @S_Abdul06 quipped, “Try and make it ₦500k pls… so that we can start selling our homes to get a passport.”
Similarly, @teejayvirus mocked, “You should have just rounded it up at a million. ₦200k is too small. Reforms are tough and we must pay the price.”
Others, however, stressed the social implications. @SAjokolo wrote, “This is relatively expensive! This should be a basic document a citizen of a country should have. Reform or no reform, this is expensive for a country where the minimum wage is ₦70k per month.”
Raising concerns about ethnic and political bias in defending the policy, @trippleOhlu asked, “Are the people commending this increment Nigerians? Do they live in Nigeria at all? Do they feel what Nigerians are feeling?
“Is international passport now a luxury? Must you commend every policy because our Yoruba must support Yoruba? What happens after PBAT leaves office?”
