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Editorial Focus: Passport Fees and Citizens’ Rights
The Federal Government’s decision to raise Nigerian passport fees yet again—just months after a previous hike—has sparked outrage, and rightly so. A 32-page passport now costs N100,000, while the 64-page version is pegged at N200,000. For millions of Nigerians struggling with rising inflation, stagnant wages, and soaring living costs, this development is more than a financial burden—it is an erosion of their basic rights.
Civil society groups like SERAP and legal voices have branded the move as unlawful and discriminatory. They argue that access to a passport is not a luxury but a necessity in a global economy, enabling travel for business, education, and medical purposes. Pricing it beyond the reach of ordinary citizens entrenches inequality and denies many the opportunity to compete globally.
The government must reconsider this policy. Beyond revenue generation, governance must be measured by how it safeguards access and fairness. For a country aspiring to boost diaspora remittances, investment inflows, and international mobility, making passports a privilege for the wealthy is both short-sighted and economically self-defeating.