This is factually incorrect.

https://developer.nintendo.com/faq

    Q: How much does it cost to develop on Nintendo platforms?

    A: Registering for the portal and downloading the tools is completely free.
       Also, if you plan to release a digital only title, you can use the IARC system to retrieve the age rating for no fee, which will allow you to publish in all the participating countries.
       All that is left is the cost of acquiring development hardware: you will find more information on this inside the portal.

Fair. I should have simply said "Nintendo doesn't approve and send out dev kits to anyone that signs up". But even that is perhaps outdated info from the pre-switch days.

Heck, pre-COVID, you needed a business address to even receive a kit. Things changed quickly at the turn of the decade.