Ahuman rights group under the umbrella of the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has demanded the immediate reversal of the 42% increment of Nigeria’s passport fees announced by President Bola Tinubu’s government.
CHSR described the hikes in the fees as undemocratic, uncalled-for, and unacceptable to Nigerians, stressing that it is another way of inflicting more hardship on Nigerians considering the current economic situation in the country.
Recall that President Tinubu’s administration had announced that the country’s passport fees would be increased to “maintain the quality and integrity of the travel document”.
The announcement which was contained in a press statement issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service spokesperson, DCI K. T. Udo, stated that the new fees will take effect from September 1, 2024.
According to Udo, the 32-page passport booklet with a 5-year validity will now cost N50,000, up from N35,000, while the 64-page booklet with a 10-year validity will cost N100,000, previously N70,000.
Udo said that passport fees for Nigerians in the diaspora however remain unchanged.
But reacting to the passport fees increment, CHSR in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, said that Nigerians are currently faced with the challenge of high cost of living occasioned by the scarcity of fuel.
He, therefore, called on the government to be more concerned about incentives that will enhance the welfare of the people as well as addressing the worsening insecurity in the country.
The statement reads, “CHSR wishes to unequivocally state that the recent announcement of the 42% increase in the procurement of passport by the federal government is uncalled-for, undemocratic and unacceptable as it is another way of inflicting more hardship on the citizens considering the economic situation in the country.
“Nigerians are currently faced with the challenges of high cost of living occasioned by the scarcity of fuel which had led to the return of long queues at different petrol stations.
“The federal government should be more concerned about incentives that will enhance the welfare of the people as well as addressing the worsening insecurity in the country.
“This is not the time to inflict more hardship on the people but to help Nigerians cope with the difficult challenges of survival.
“CHSR, as a matter of urgency, demands that the federal government should immediately revert to the old charges and mandate the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to maintain the status quo.”
