Tinubu’s aide Temitope Ajayi defended the passport fee hike, blaming Nigerians and immigration officers for fueling corruption.
Temitope Ajayi, media aide to President Bola Tinubu, has defended the federal government’s recent hike in passport fees, attributing the decision to entrenched corruption within the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and among citizens. Ajayi argued that Nigerians should not complain about the new charges since many have long resorted to bribing officers for faster processing.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Ajayi wrote, “Nigerians have always paid more than N100k and N200k to get the five-year and 10-year valid travel passports, in bribes, to immigration officers to get their passports out on time.” He added, “The difference is: the money will now go into government coffers for the same express service instead of private pockets.”
The NIS announced on Thursday that effective September 1, 2025, a 32-page five-year passport will cost N100,000, while a 64-page 10-year passport will cost N200,000. Ajayi’s remarks have drawn criticism, with many describing them as insensitive.
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