“Nigerians already paid more through bribes” – President’s aide defends passport fee hike
President Bola Tinubu’s Senior unique Assistant on Media and exposure, Temitope Ajayi has defended the Nigeria Immigration provider (NIS)’s debatable boom in passport software costs.
Ajayi claimed on X that Nigerians were paying even greater through unofficial capacity to fast-song the procedure.
On Thursday, August 28, the NIS introduced that from September 1, 2025, a 32-page passport with a five-yr validity will value ₦one hundred,000, while a 64-web page passport with a 10-12 months validity will be priced at ₦200,000.
The revised fees follow solely to packages made within Nigeria. Passports acquired from overseas will remain at $one hundred fifty and $230, respectively.
NIS said the upward assessment was crucial to “uphold the exceptional and integrity of the Nigerian Passport.”
but, the hike has drawn heavy criticism from residents which includes competition figures like Peter Obi.
“The obsession of this administration with setting a burden at the population is becoming legendary and keeps to disclose its apparent disconnect with the humans and the struggling,” Obi wrote on X.
“The international Passport costs in Nigeria have now skyrocketed to ₦one hundred,000 for a 32-page book and ₦200,000 for sixty four pages. this is the 1/3 increase in only two years.
“In a rustic in which the new minimal salary is solely ₦70,000, the cost of a single passport now exceeds a employee’s month-to-month salary, likely the sole united states within the world to acquire this feat.”
In response to the viral complaint, presidential aide, Temitope Ajayi, wrote, “Nigerians have usually paid more than N100k and N200k to get the 5 years and 10 years legitimate journey passport, in bribes, to Immigration officers to get their passports out on time.”
He brought “The distinction now could be: the money will move into government coffers for equal specific service instead of personal wallet.”
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