The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) has strongly criticized the recent announcement of increased fees for Nigerian international passports to ₦100,000 for the 32-page booklet and ₦200,000 for the 64-page booklet, reportedly directed by the Ministry of Interior through the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
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In a public statement dated August 29, 2025, and signed by Professor Paul Ananaba, SAN, Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, and Kunle Edun, SAN, Chairman of the NBA-SPIDEL Public Interest Litigation Committee, the association described the purported increment as unconstitutional, arbitrary, and economically insensitive.
NBA-SPIDEL noted that passport fees are government charges that must, under Nigeria’s constitutional framework, be authorized through legislation originating from the Executive via a Money Bill, passed by the National Assembly, and assented to by the President. Any increment not following this constitutional procedure is considered null and void.
The section emphasized that while the Immigration Act, 2015 allows the Minister of Interior to prescribe fees through regulations, such rules must be properly gazetted and presented to the National Assembly. Administrative directives, circulars, policies, or press releases alone cannot impose financial obligations on citizens.
The association also highlighted the socio-economic implications of the proposed increase, stating that it indirectly undermines the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of movement under Section 41 of the Constitution and places an undue burden on Nigerian citizens, particularly in a country where the national minimum wage is ₦70,000 per month. NBA-SPIDEL described the increment as “arbitrary, excessive, and economically inconsiderate,” warning that it erodes public trust in state institutions and the rule of law.
Demands by NBA-SPIDEL:
- Immediate suspension of the purported increment pending the production of a legislative instrument authorizing the new fees.
- Formal clarification from the Ministry of Interior and the NIS regarding the statutory basis for the increment.
- Full exercise of constitutional oversight by the National Assembly to investigate the legal and economic justification of the fee increase.
The association further warned that failure by the authorities to act would compel NBA-SPIDEL to:
- Initiate a Public Interest Litigation before the Federal High Court to declare the increment unconstitutional, null, and void.
- Mobilize civil society, labour unions, professional bodies, and the media to resist the measure.
“NBA-SPIDEL shall not stand idly by while the rights of citizens are undermined by unconstitutional and arbitrary actions. Nigerians deserve governance founded on law, justice, fairness, and accountability, not arbitrary economic impositions,” the statement concluded.
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