Nigeria Immigration Service will soon inaugurate “a user-friendly e-Visa system to stimulate economic growth and tourism”.
The General Controller (GC) of Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, announced the upcoming launch of an updated and more accessible electronic visa application system (e-Visa) for short stays.
In a recent press release, Nigeria’s immigration chief explained that the new system was designed to streamline visa procedures, adding that it also aimed to encourage foreign direct investment and boost tourism.
“We must embrace these reforms and implement effective internal control and monitoring mechanisms to track the presence and activities of all foreigners in Nigeria”, said Kemi Nandap.
The GC reiterated her commitment to the full implementation of the electronic border project. She specified that this project includes the installation of electronic gates (e-Gate) at the international airports of Lagos and Abuja, as well as the integration of the Advance Passenger Information System.
Last month, Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, stated that the federal government was working on revising the country’s visa application policy to make it more accessible in the coming weeks.
“Everything relies on effective visa administration”
The minister noted that while balancing visa accessibility with national security is a sensitive issue, if managed effectively, it will undoubtedly encourage significant investment promotion among other benefits.
“You see, smooth access to any country is essential for promoting investment, job creation, and foreign direct investment. In short, it’s the key to everything a particular country wants to do or achieve to enable its progress. The logic is that everything relies on effective visa administration. So we are here to discuss and streamline the process to improve it. This specifically concerns short-stay visas and even our other visa categories, to see how we can optimize and make them more effective to attract more investments”, said Nigerian Interior Minister.
The Minister added that, as a result, people from all over the world will begin to find easier access to Nigeria, as the government aims to attract both international investment and tourists.
“Last year, the number of foreign passengers coming to Nigeria was just under two million people. This is unacceptable for a country of over 200 million people. This means that we are limiting investment and the import of foreign currency, among other things. So, once we put the right visa policy in place and perfect the implementation framework, economic prosperity will certainly follow”, said Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
