Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has criticised the recent increase in Nigerian passport fees, describing it as evidence that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is disconnected from the suffering of citizens.
Obi, in a post on his verified X account on Saturday, condemned the upward review that pegged the cost of a 32-page passport booklet at ₦100,000 and a 64-page booklet at ₦200,000. He noted that this marked the third increment in just two years.
“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.
The former Anambra governor argued that the increase was unjustifiable, especially in a country where the newly approved minimum wage stands at ₦70,000. According to him, the cost of acquiring a passport now surpasses a worker’s monthly salary, making Nigeria “probably the only country in the world to achieve this feat.”
He further said that rather than easing the economic pressure on citizens, the government was “shifting the burden onto ordinary Nigerians.”
“This government keeps shifting the burden onto ordinary Nigerians. It is alarming that the price of the international passport is higher than what workers earn in a month,” Obi added.
