Former Nigerian ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, has expressed concern that the recent increase in Nigerian passport fees will exacerbate the hardship already faced by many Nigerians, rather than curbing the ‘japa’ phenomenon—the mass emigration of Nigerians seeking better opportunities abroad.
The Nigeria Immigration Service recently announced a significant price hike for Nigerian passports, set to take effect from September 1, 2024.
This adjustment includes a 100 percent increase in fees, which the NIS justified as necessary to maintain the quality and integrity of the Nigerian Standard Passport system.
Under the new pricing, the cost of a 32-page passport booklet with a five-year validity period has risen from N35,000 to N50,000. Similarly, the price of a 64-page passport booklet with a ten-year validity has surged from N70,000 to N100,000.
In an interview with The PUNCH, Farounbi acknowledged that while the fee hike might be seen as necessary in light of the country’s inflationary pressures, it would only serve to deepen the economic challenges faced by ordinary Nigerians.
“There is nothing whose price has not gone up in the last one year. Unfortunately, the poor people are the carriers of this burden so rather than ease the burden on the common man or the average Nigerian, we have only added to it. Increasing the cost of passports by almost 100 percent or thereabouts will not discourage those who want to leave because they are being pulled by stronger forces than the cost of passports,” he explained.
Adding his voice to the discussion,, a former Nigeria Consul to Cameroon, Rasheed Akinkuolie, criticized the government’s decision to increase passport fees, arguing that it should instead focus on more pressing issues like insecurity and the soaring inflation that is driving up the cost of living.
Akinkuolie emphasized that the current economic conditions have left many Nigerians struggling, and the passport fee hike will only compound their difficulties.
