The Federal Government (FG) has defended its decision to increase the cost of Nigerian passports to N100,000 and N200,000.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) announced that, starting September 1, applications made in Nigeria will now attract N100,000 for a 32-page, five-year booklet and N200,000 for a 64-page, 10-year booklet.
Nigerians in the diaspora, however, will continue to pay $150 and $230 respectively.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, explained that the upward review was necessary to guarantee timely delivery, eliminate corruption, and sustain the quality of the travel document.
He said the new system would put an end to long delays and extortion that once forced applicants to wait months or pay huge bribes before getting their passports.
“My own daughter had the bad experience. Even when I was chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, I had to pay hundreds of thousands to get her passport. That era is over,” he said.
According to him, a new centralised personalisation centre will ensure faster processing and remove the powers of Passport Control Officers to delay or frustrate applications.
He stressed that the reforms would not only guarantee efficiency but also protect the integrity of Nigeria’s passport.
