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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), has announced an upward review of Nigerian Standard Passport fees, disclosing that the change is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.
While announcing that it was in a bid to uphold the quality and integrity, the management of Service noted that the review only affects Passport Application fees made in Nigeria.
In a statement by A. S. Akinlabi, Service Public Relations Officer, noted that it sets a new fee threshold for 32-page with five-year validity at N100,000 and 64-page with 10-year validity at N200,000.
“In a bid to uphold the quality and integrity of the Nigerian Passport, the NIS hereby announces an upward review of Nigerian Standard Passport fees, set to take effect on September 1, 2025.
“The review which only affects Passport Application fees made in Nigeria, now set a new fee threshold for 32-page with 5-year validity at N100,000 and 64-page with 10-year validity at N200,000.
“Meanwhile, Nigerian Passport Application fees made by Nigerians in diaspora remain unchanged at $150 for 32-page with 5-year validity and $230 for 64-page with 10-year validity.
“The Service reiterates its commitment to balancing quality service delivery with the need to ensure Passport services are accessible to all Nigerians,” the statement noted.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said plans are ongoing to ensure the processing time for passports does not exceed a week after submission of application.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the assurance during the ministry’s mid-tenure performance retreat on Thursday in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo said the planned shortened time frame was part of the Federal Government’s reforms in passport issuance process.
“Our target is very clear; within one week of enrolment, every Nigerian should have their passport in hand.
“Not just delivering quickly, but delivering quality passports that reflect our integrity as a nation.”
He said the new system was designed to eliminate long delays and extortion that once forced citizens to wait six months to seven months and pay excessively for fast-track processing.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the centralised personalisation centre will ensure faster processing and stricter security.
“With this facility, we can print five times more passports than we currently need; once you enrol, it doesn’t take us more than 24 hours to vet as printing capacity is no longer our problem.”
The minister further said that the inefficient system inherited by his administration with a six months backlog of passport applications was cleared in two and a half weeks.
“Nigerians will apply for passports and wait endlessly, or be asked to pay hundreds of thousands of Naira.” He said Passport Control Officers (PCOs) would no longer have powers to approve or delay passport applications.
“This reform is aimed at curbing racketeering, eliminating delays and restoring integrity to Nigeria’s travel documents.
“We realised that the best way to cut corruption is to remove human contact to the barest minimum.
“Passport approval will no longer rest in the hands of officers as my responsibility is not for them to like me, but to deliver efficiency. Let Nigerians be happy.”
Tunji-Ojo further said that the reforms would also eradicate the illegal possession of Nigerian passports by foreigners.
“In one incident, an Ugandan woman carrying a Nigerian passport was arrested at Lagos Airport after paying $1,000 to procure it.
“That cannot continue as our passport must remain a true symbol of Nigerian identity,” he declared.
