Immigration Reveals Four Reasons For Increasing Nigerian Passport Fees — Immigration

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has provided an explanation for the upward review of fees for obtaining Nigerian passports, a decision set to take effect from September 1, 2024.

The fee increase has sparked mixed reactions across social media platforms.

In a post shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the NIS Public Relations Unit highlighted four key reasons behind the price hike.

According to the service, the increase is aimed at improving passport quality, addressing rising production costs, enhancing service delivery, and aligning with the government’s local content policy.

The NIS emphasized that the new fees will ensure the Nigerian passport maintains the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard.

Additionally, the fee adjustment accounts for the rising costs of materials and production, which the service says have become inevitable due to current economic realities.

The immigration service also noted that the increased fees would enable the NIS to establish more passport front offices and biometric centers across the country.

This move is intended to improve access to passport services, reduce congestion at existing centers, and speed up the passport production process.

Furthermore, the fee hike is part of the NIS’s broader goal of fully domesticating the production of Nigerian passport booklets, ensuring that the entire production process takes place within the country.

In an effort to facilitate a seamless application process, the NIS encouraged applicants to utilize the automated payment platform available on its official website.