By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Nigeria’s leading rights group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has issued a blistering call to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, demanding the immediate reversal of what it describes as an “arbitrary, unlawful and unjustifiable” hike in passport fees that could force millions of Nigerians to choose between food and their fundamental rights.
From 1 September 2025, Nigerians applying for passports at home will pay a staggering ₦100,000 for a 32-page booklet valid for five years, while a 64-page, 10-year booklet will skyrocket to ₦200,000.
This represents a 100 per cent jump from the last increase in September 2024, when fees were raised from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000 and from ₦70,000 to ₦100,000 respectively.
In a strongly worded letter dated 30 August 2025, signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation accused the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nanna Nandap, of trampling on the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights law by imposing what it called “excessive and discriminatory” charges.
“Millions of disadvantaged Nigerians cannot realistically afford to pay the increased fees. These Nigerians should not be forced to spend their meagre incomes on inflated passport costs instead of basic survival needs,” SERAP warned.
The group maintained that the hike would disproportionately punish the poorest Nigerians and effectively deny them their constitutional right to a passport, a vital document for travel, identification, and access to other citizenship privileges.
It further argued that the Interior Ministry and the NIS had failed to assess the devastating financial impact of the decision on millions already battered by rising inflation and economic hardship.
SERAP insisted the measure was unconstitutional, unlawful, and incompatible with chapters 2 and 4 of the 1999 Constitution, while also breaching Nigeria’s obligations under international treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The organisation gave the Tinubu administration seven days to reverse the policy or face legal action.
“If we have not heard from you within seven days, we shall take all appropriate legal steps to compel your government, the Minister, and the Comptroller General to comply with our request in the public interest,” it declared.
