David Adenuga has strongly criticised the recent decision by the Nigeria Immigration Service to significantly increase the fees for obtaining international passports.
He has labelled the move as another example of an anti-people policy that places an unjustifiable burden on citizens already struggling with severe economic challenges.
In a statement released on Thursday, Adenuga highlighted the specifics of the hike, which sees the cost of a 32-page passport booklet with a five-year validity period jump from fifty thousand naira to one hundred thousand naira.
Similarly, the fee for the 64-page booklet with a ten-year validity has been doubled from one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand naira. He expressed particular dismay that this increase comes less than a year after a previous fee adjustment, a pattern he views as exploitative and indicative of poor governance.
Adenuga argued that in societies that are responsive to the needs of their people, the cost of essential documents like passports is often subsidised to ensure accessibility for all citizens.
He contrasted this with the situation in Nigeria, where he claims policies are designed under the guise of cost recovery and operational sustainability, ultimately piling more pressure on the masses.
He warned that the new charges will deepen inequality by effectively restricting passport access to the wealthy and political elite, thereby depriving average Nigerians of opportunities for international education, business, or essential medical treatment abroad.
He further pointed out the irony of leaders who frequently travel overseas at public expense being blind to how such policies financially imprison ordinary citizens within the country’s borders.
Adenuga called on the government to redirect its efforts toward improving service delivery, eliminating corrupt practices like extortion, and creating a seamless passport issuance process, rather than using high prices as a barrier.
He concluded by describing the fee increment as utterly unjustifiable, deeply inconsiderate, and clear proof of a governing class that is completely disconnected from the daily realities faced by Nigerians.
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cc: Daily Post NG
