As part of efforts to attract foreign investment and encourage visits, the federal government has announced it will embark on a review of the country’s visa policy.
The Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY and Arise Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, on Friday urged African leaders to promote the free movement of people and goods within the region and foster development. He called for efforts to remove visa restrictions on the African continent.
Mr. Obeigbena made the call in Nairobi, Kenya, during the wrap-up session of the three-day Pan-African Media Leaders Summit themed “Reinventing African Media in a Time of Significant Change.”
The media mogul was one of the co-chairs of the summit.
Speaking at the Stakeholder Consultation on Nigerian Visas held in Abuja on Saturday, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, said the number of visitors to Nigeria last year compared to Nigeria’s population, resources and available opportunities. He said the numbers were unacceptable. Country.
He argued that visa policies need to be reviewed to meet the standards of President Bola Tinubu’s “New Hope” agenda.
“We are determined, by the grace of God, to ensure that the new implementation framework is implemented in the coming weeks.
“And people from all over the world will have easy access to this country. We want to welcome investment and talent.
“Last year alone, the number of foreign passengers, whether Nigerian or not, visited Nigeria just under 2 million.
“For a country with a population of over 200 million people, that is unacceptable. This means restricting investments and imports, especially foreign exchange.
“So if we get the visa policy right and the implementation framework perfect, economic prosperity will definitely come,” Tunji Ojo said.
The minister further asserted that he would consider a visa policy that would attract investments and encourage people from all over the world to visit Nigeria without jeopardizing Nigeria’s security.
He said it was a difficult balance to strike given the sensitive nature of easy access to visas and national security, but “if done correctly, it will definitely lead to a healthy investment boost for Nigeria.”
He said: “Seamless access to any country is key to investment promotion, job creation and foreign direct investment. In short, what a particular country is trying to do and what it wants to achieve to enable progress. That’s the key.
“The logic is that everything is built on effective visa management. So we are here to discuss it and help you streamline the process for the better.
“In particular in the area of short-term stay visas and other categories of visas, we are looking at ways to optimize them and make them more efficient in a way that will attract more investment.”
Tunji Ojo further said that if the country behaves correctly, this development will open up space for tourism and infrastructure development in the country and create balance in terms of the national security architecture.
The minister said the current administration’s determination is to make Nigeria’s visa policy one of the best in the world and it will not rest in its oasis until that is achieved.
“A New Hope is about business as usual. It is about prioritizing by making sure Nigeria is the best in the world and that is exactly what we are trying to achieve.
“Having a policy is one thing, but being able to implement it is another.
That’s why we’re here today to discuss the need to leverage technology to reduce wait times for short-term visas, business visas, tourism, and entertainment.
“And how easy will it be for them to access application mechanisms?
“Why should someone travel from British Columbia, Canada to Ottawa just because they want a Nigerian visa?
“Today, why do people go to Qatar, the United Kingdom, Singapore even more than they go to Europe? Because it’s easier to access.
“So building the right framework and having competitive benchmarks that are comparable to the best in the world is exactly what we aim to achieve,” the minister added.
Dr Aishethu Ndayako, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the review became necessary given the importance of visas to the overall development of any country.
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