SERAP demands reversal of passport fee hike

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued an appeal to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to intervene and reverse the recent hike in Nigerian passport fees.

In a letter dated August 30, 2025, SERAP called the new fees, up to N200,000 for a 10-year passport, “arbitrary, unlawful, unjustified, and excessive.”

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) announced last week that effective September 1, 2025, a 32-page, five-year validity passport would cost N100,000, while the 64-page, 10-year validity passport would be priced at N200,000.

This is the second significant fee increase in as many years, following a similar hike in September 2024.

According to the letter, signed by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation argued that the exorbitant fees constitute a discriminatory denial of access to travel documents for millions of financially vulnerable Nigerians.

The group contended that the citizens should not be forced to choose between acquiring a passport and meeting their basic living needs.

SERAP stressed that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Comptroller General of the NIS, Kemi Nanna Nandap, have a constitutional and legal obligation to balance the imposition of fees with the protection of citizens’ rights.

The organisation asserted that the new fees disproportionately burden the poor and are incompatible with Nigeria’s constitutional provisions on fundamental rights and state policy.

“The increased fees will hit those at the bottom of the economy,” the letter stated.

SERAP further criticised the government officials for failing to consider the economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians.

It described the fee hike as an unlawful act that renders Nigerians’ fundamental rights to citizenship and freedom of movement nugatory.

The human rights group pointed out that the decision violated Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

SERAP maintained that the government has not provided a sufficient justification for the increase, which it fears will only serve to further impoverish the population.

In its letter, SERAP provided a timeline of the passport fee changes.

“A 32-page passport that cost N35,000 in 2024 was increased to N50,000 and is now slated to double to N100,000.

“Similarly, the 64-page passport, which went from N70,000 to N100,000 in 2024, has been doubled again to N200,000.

“This rapid succession of increases has sparked widespread public outcry and a formal response from a concerned human rights advocacy group.

“SERAP has given President Tinubu a 7-day ultimatum to direct the reversal of the fees,” it stated.

The organisation warned that if its demands are not met, it will pursue all available legal avenues to compel the government to comply with its request.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter.

“If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government, the Minister, and Comptroller General to comply with our request in the public interest,” the letter concluded.

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