No Royalties from E-Passport Sales Despite Millions Raised

By Kelfala Kargbo

Freetown, 3^rd February 2026- A new report by the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) has revealed that the Government of Sierra Leone has not received any royalty payments from the sale of e-passports, despite the industry generating between USD 7 million and USD 9 million annually.

The report, titled “Di Ed pan d Case”, examined more than 3,400 contracts signed between 2016 and 2023, with a particular focus on the e-passport agreement. It found that although 60,000 to 70,000 passports are printed and sold each year, no evidence exists of royalty payments being made to the government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Across West Africa, Sierra Leone’s passport remains the most expensive, costing between USD 100 and USD 180. By comparison, Nigeria’s passport ranges from USD 65 to USD 131, while Ghana reduced its fees by 30 percent last year, bringing the cost down from USD 33 to USD 23.

The e-passport contract is currently managed by Next Page SL Ltd in partnership with HID Global, which took over production after the expiration of the Thomas De La Rue contract in 2023. Despite public criticism over high costs and lost state revenue, IGR notes that the government has renewed the contract three times without adjustments.

Speaking at the report’s launch in Freetown, IGR Executive Director Andrew Lavalie said corruption is entrenched in Sierra Leone’s passport industry. “From the contract agreement to the distribution of passports, only a few politicians benefit. There has been persistent neglect to review the process,” he stated.

The report warns that unless reforms are introduced, the system risks perpetuating losses. “A machinery for normalizing and legalizing massive loss in public procurement has been institutionalized and can persist even with a change of regime and personnel,” it cautions.

With millions of dollars generated annually but no royalties flowing into the state’s coffers, the findings raise urgent questions about accountability, transparency, and the economic impact of Sierra Leone’s passport system.