The government of Nigeria has increased procurement of international passports for individuals from a minimum of N35,000 to N50,000 with effect from the 1st of September 2024.
A statement by the spokesman of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kenneth Udo, said that the increment is a part of the government’s efforts to maintain the quality and integrity of the Nigerian Standard Passport.
He explained that based on the review, a 32-page Passport booklet with 5-year validity previously charged at N35,000 will now be N50,000.00, while a 64-page Passport booklet with 10-year validity which was N70,000.00 will be N100,000.
The statement said that the fees remain unchanged for Nigerians in Diaspora.
The NIS regretted any inconvenience this increase might cause prospective applicants even as it assured Nigerians of unwavering commitment to transparency and quality service delivery at all times.

A civil society group in the advocacy for sound procurement management, anti-corruption and transparency has faulted the move by the Federal Government to review the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007.
This is coming on the heels of Federal Executive Council’s decision, at its meeting on July 14, 2024 directing the Attorney General the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, to head a committee on the review process.
In a letter dated August 12 and addressed to the AGF, the group, known as Procurement Observation and Advocacy Initiative (PRADIN) asked the federal government to consider implementing the law in full before any amendment.
The Minister of Budget and National Planning had addressed State House Correspondents after the above meeting, as reported in several media that “The government’s desire is to reconcile discrepancies between the Appropriation Act, the PPA 2007 and the Fiscal Responsibility Act.”
A Committee was said to have been set up under the Chairmanship of the AGF.
But PRADIN, in the letter signed by its National Coordinator, Mohammed Bougei Attah, said: “As a leading voice of civil society organizations, CSOs in Nigeria’s procurement eco-system, we have participated in most of the unsuccessful amendments to the same Act since the year 2017, we feel duty-bound to share our thoughts and experiences on the subject to guide your Committee in this national assignment as a way to move the nation forward, and to move away from same problem.
“While it is a common knowledge that no law is perfect and that all laws are amenable to review, our argument against this review proposal is based on the simple fact that the PPA 2007 has never been implemented in full. Part 1, Section 1 of the Act, under ‘Establishment of the National Council on Public Procurement, NCPP and its Membership has not been implemented by the Federal Government as the law demand.
“And this we know is connected to all issues, including fiscal accountability and transparency in governance as well as corruption in the public sector”
The group argued that the law (PPA 2007) that provides for the establishment of NCPP was passed in 2007 by the National Assembly, 13 years ago, but previous Presidents, pursuant to Sections 5 (1), 148 (1) 4 (2) and 4 (3) as well as S.171 of the 1999 Constitution failed to inaugurate the Council till date.
PRADIN said that fiscal accountability and transparency in governance as well as corruption in the public sector stem from unhealthy procurement practices.
“While governments efforts are geared towards reconciling discrepancies between the Appropriation Act, the PPA 2007 and the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the first (AA) is to guide while the second (PPA) is for implementation and the third (FRA) is to monitor and evaluate the process to ensure transparency. fiscal accountability and transparency in governance as well as corruption in the public sector stem from sound procurement practices. “While governments efforts are geared towards reconciling discrepancies between the Appropriation Act, the PPA 2007 and the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the first (AA) is to guide while the second (PPA) is for implementation and the third (FRA) is to monitor and evaluate the process to ensure transparency.
“It is therefore our appeal that while the amendments to the PPA 2007 is being sought, your Committee should consider the above relevant sections of the Act for implementation, otherwise the exercise, like the previous ones may be in futility.”

Kogi State government is set to play host to the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) at their 2024 annual conference, scheduled for October 3.
A statement by the Publicity Secretary of GOCOP, Sir Remmy Nweke, quoted the 2024 Conference Planning Committee Chairman, Danlami Nmodu, mni and Secretary, Olumide Iyanda, as having said that this year’s Confab, which is the 8th in the series, would be the first a state will be hosting.
According to him, the theme: “Nigeria: Tackling Insecurity, Power Deficit, and Transitioning to Digital Economy,” is coming against the background of the current security and power deficit challenges in the country.
The statement said that a prominent technocrat who is versed in the dynamics of power management, from generation through transmission to distribution would deliver the keynote, while two guest speakers with expertise in digital economy and security value chains respectively have confirmed their attendance.
It recalled that the previous speakers at the annual conference to include Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto who delivered the 2019 lecture on “Economy, Security and National Development: The Way Forward”.
It said that in 2021, Boss Mustapha, the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), delivered a keynote address at the Conference in his capacity as Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19.
“He spoke on Post Covid-19 Pandemic: Recovery and Reconstruction in Nigeria.”
The statement said that in 2022, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), delivered the keynote address titled: “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome.”
“The 2023 edition, which held in Abuja, had the theme, Nigeria: Roadmap for Socio-Economic Recovery and Sustainability, was chaired by Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) while Professor Uche Uwaleke, a Professor of Capital Market delivered the keynote.”
The statement said that advanced preparations have been made to ensure that the 2024 event is a success, adding that details about the 2024 Annual GOCOP conference would be made public as the event draws nearer.

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has again, floored the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the last year, November election, Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, as the Supreme Court, today, August 19, dismissed his application urging the court to await the outcome of his request for a full panel to hear an issue raised in his appeal.
In his ruling, Justice Mohammed Garba, who presided over a five-member panel, noted that the issue in respect of which the appellants seek a full panel was a fraction of the entire appeal.
Ajaka and his party are in an appeal marked: SC/CV/654/2024, praying to the apex Court to vacate the decisions of the lower Courts, both the judgment of the court of Appeal and that of the Kogi State election petition tribunal which upheld the victory of Ahmed Ododo of the All Progressives Congress in the state guber election.
At the resumed hearing of the appeal, the lawyer who appeared for Ajaka and the SDP, Pius Akubo told the court that his client had written the Chief Justice of Nigeria for the constitution of a full panel of the court to hear issues raised in Paragraphs 4.28 and 4.29, in page 16 of the appellants’ brief of argument.
Akubo said the appellants are by both paragraphs, praying the court to depart from previous decisions in determining their appeal.
Lawyers to the respondents, Kanu Agabi for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joseph Daudu for Ododo and Emmanuel Ukala for the APC, all described the application as unnecessary and urged the court, as presently constituted, to proceed to hear the appeal.
Garba further noted that the issue was one out of the three issues raised in the appeal and the court, as presently constituted, could hear and determine the appeal.
He called on Akubo to proceed with the hearing of the appeal.
Akubo identified his briefs, adopted them and urged the court to allow the appeal, set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal and declare Ajaka as the duly elected governor of Kogi State.
The respondents’ counsel, Agabi, Daudu and Ukala adopted their briefs and prayed the court to dismiss the appeal and affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeal.
Justice Garba subsequently adjourned judgment till a date to be communicated to all parties involved.