Lere Olayinka to Peter Obi: Cost of passport was never below minimum wage

The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has responded sharply to former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his criticism of the recent increase in Nigerian international passport fees.

Obi had condemned the Federal Government’s decision, claiming the new cost of passports exceeds Nigeria’s minimum wage.

According to Obi, the 32-page passport booklet, now priced at ₦100,000, and the 64-page version at ₦200,000, impose a disproportionate financial burden on ordinary workers, whose minimum wage is currently ₦70,000.

In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), Obi described the hike as part of an “obsession of this administration with putting a burden on the populace” and expressed concern that the fees were the third increase in just two years.

In response, Olayinka challenged Obi’s claim, stating that the cost of the international passport has never been lower than the minimum wage in Nigeria. He further questioned the framing of passport fees as part of the everyday cost of living.

“Was there any time in Nigeria that the cost of International Passport was lower than Minimum Wage? Is International Passport part of the cost of living anywhere in the world?” Olayinka wrote on his social media account, defending the government’s position.

The exchange stresses the ongoing debate over public service pricing and the accessibility of essential documents in Nigeria, particularly in relation to workers’ income and cost-of-living concerns.

While the Federal Government justifies the fees as part of administrative and operational costs, critics continue to argue that high passport fees disproportionately affect low- and middle-income Nigerians.

The Federal Government recently announced that the new passport fees apply to both 32-page and 64-page booklets, effective immediately, and stressed that efforts are underway to improve delivery timelines and reduce instances of racketeering in the issuance process.