The Presidency has defended the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)’s controversial increase in passport application fees, claiming that Nigerians have long paid even more through unofficial means to fast-track the process.

President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant, Temitope Ajayi, made the statement in a post on X on Friday, amid growing public anger, disappointment and condemnation over the new fee structure announced by the Immigration Service.

On Thursday, NIS announced that from September 1, 2025, a 32-page passport with a five-year validity will cost ₦100,000, while a 64-page passport with a 10-year validity will be priced at ₦200,000.

The revised fees apply only to applications made within Nigeria. Passports obtained from abroad will remain at $150 and $230, respectively.

NIS said the upward review was necessary to “uphold the quality and integrity of the Nigerian Passport.”

However, the hike has drawn heavy criticism from citizens including opposition figures like Peter Obi who has also condemning the policy as burdensome and insensitive, especially in a country where the newly approved minimum wage is ₦70,000.

“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,” Obi wrote on X.