Former Anambra State governor and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticised the recent increase in the cost of obtaining an international passport in Nigeria.
Reacting in a post on X on Thursday, Obi described the fee adjustment as another sign of the government’s “apparent disconnect” from the people and their daily struggles.
He wrote:
“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 the suffering. The International Passport fees in Nigeria have now skyrocketed to ₦100,000 for a 32-page booklet and ₦200,000 for 64 pages. This is the third increase in just two years.”
Obi further pointed out the disparity between the new charges and Nigeria’s recently approved minimum wage of ₦70,000. According to him, the cost of a single passport now surpasses the monthly salary of a worker, making Nigeria “probably the only country in the world to achieve this feat.”
He lamented that rather than finding ways to ease the financial strain on citizens, the government “keeps shifting the burden onto ordinary Nigerians.” Describing the situation as alarming, Obi stressed that it was unacceptable for the price of a travel document to outweigh workers’ earnings.
The fee hike has continued to generate widespread debate, with many Nigerians questioning its affordability and potential impact on citizens seeking international opportunities.
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