Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized the Federal Government over the recent hike in international passport fees, describing it as a clear sign of insensitivity to the suffering of Nigerians.
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The new rates, which take effect from September 1, peg the cost of a 32-page passport with five-year validity at ₦100,000, while a 64-page passport with ten-year validity will cost ₦200,000.
This marks the third increase in just two years.Obi, reacting to the development, lamented that in a country where the newly approved minimum wage stands at ₦70,000, the cost of obtaining a passport now exceeds the monthly earnings of an average worker.“The obsession of this administration with putting a burden on the populace is becoming legendary and continues to reveal its apparent disconnect with the people and their suffering,” Obi said.
He further described the development as alarming, stressing that Nigeria may be the only country in the world where the cost of a passport is higher than a worker’s salary, adding that instead of easing the hardship faced by citizens, the government keeps transferring the weight of its policies onto ordinary Nigerians.
