• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Visa on arrival report shows Africans excited by Nigeria’s policies

Nig-passport

The Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) on Monday dismissed a trending report on issuance of ‘visa on arrival’ for Africans by the Federal Government.

The report was credited to the African Union (AU) on Facebook and Twitter, and drew diverse commentaries from the public.

The excitement generated by the post validates the fact that Africans are interested in Nigeria’s economic and social policies, say analysts.

“What it tells me is that Africans are looking at us. They want our doors thrown open,” said Ike Ibeabuchi, CEO of a services and manufacturing firm, MD Services Limited.

“Nigeria is the most populous and the biggest economy and its trajectory determines a lot on the continent. People want to come here and we need policies to be better,” Ibeabuchi said.

One top government official said this has good economic implications but could attract harsh social consequences for the country.

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“It shows excitement about us , but if we allow this now, this may become a burden on us at a time that the country is recovering from recession,” the official said.

The Federal Government in its National Action Plan 2.0 (NAP 2.0) has proposed to make entry into and exit from Nigeria easy, and is processing and approving Temporary Work Permit within 48 hours. There will also be Automated Expatriate Quota application processes at the Ministry of the Interior, targeted at encouraging foreign direct investment.

Responding to the AU report, Sunday James, NIS public relations officer, said:

“The attention of the comptroller-general of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede MFR has been drawn to a recently circulated publication on Visa Policy tagged ‘Visa on Arrival’ Issuance for Africans, credited to the African Union (AU) in a Facebook post and Twitter, which has drawn diverse commentaries from the public.

“As the Federal Government of Nigeria’s lead and foremost agency saddled with the responsibility for the regulation and enforcement of migration laws of the country, the Nigeria Immigration Service states clearly that; no such decision was in place, it is an unconfirmed and yet to be considered policy of the government of Nigeria.

“Though the AU has advocated for a ‘Single African Passport’ aimed at improving Intra-African trade and relations, and has called for the abolition of Visa requirements for all African Citizens in the years to come, ‘as a follow-up to the 2016 electronic African Union Passport launched and issued to heads of State and governments’. It does not culminate into ‘Free movement on the continent without Visa in a Visa free regime, which may include Visa on Arrival at Ports of entry for Africans’ as suggested by the post.

“In view of the foregoing, the Nigeria Immigration Service hereby emphasizes and advises the general public to ignore the Facebook post or other online posts, in line of the purported AU ‘Visa on Arrival’, which is neither an approved Visa Policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria, nor agreement signed for implementation.

“Nigeria Immigration Service will always communicate any approved government policy on Visa Issues to the public, through credible and recognised means and mediums at any given time,” the NIS spokesman said.

ODINAKA ANUDU& STELLA ENENCHE, Abuja