The Nigerian Immigration Service which had been classified as one with the most difficult bureaucracies has embarked on several reforms to ease the application processes and documentation of Immigrants and Emigrants (Nigerians and Foreigners alike)
Non-Nigerians require a visa unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries and must hold a passport valid for 6 months with at least one blank passport page. Proof of Polio and Yellow Fever is also required.
Non-Nigerians can gain entry into Nigeria through the following ways:
- ECOWAS citizens and countries with visa abolition agreements with Nigeria do not require a visa for entry into Nigeria. The countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Cote d Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
- Holders of valid Diplomatic/Official Passport from countries with which Nigeria has a Visa waiver agreement can enter Nigeria without a Visa through an approved entry point. The countries include: Brazil, China, Namibia, South Africa, and Turkey
- Non-Nigerians who seek visas for Residence, Temporary Work Permit, and Dependants must be obtained at Nigerian Embassies/Consular Missions or Visa Processing Centers, before commencing such journey to Nigeria
African nations were to scrap visa requirements for all African citizens by 2018 following the African Union “vision and roadmap for the next 50 years” that was adopted by all member states in 2013. A recent AU report found that Africans can travel without a visa to just 22% of other African countries.
VISA ON ARRIVAL
President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 at the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa in Egypt, announced Nigeria’s New Visa on arrival policy.
“We in Nigeria have already taken the strategic decision to bring down barriers that have hindered the free movement of our people within the continent by introducing the issuance of a visa at the point of entry into Nigeria to all persons holding passports of African countries with effect from January 2020”
Despite the African Union “vision and roadmap, Nigeria Immigration maintained that only the following people are eligible for its Visa on arrival policy:
“Frequently travelled Business Persons of International Repute, Executives of Multi-national Companies, Members of Government Delegations, Holders of United Nations Passports, Holders of African Union Passports, and Holders of any other Official travel documents of other recognized International Organizations who intend to visit Nigeria”
These categories of people must apply for Visa on Arrival via ian immigration portal “www.immigration.gov.ng” and must obtain approval online, before the commencement of the journey to Nigeria and all payments are to be made online.
Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede revealed that the Service position has been communicated to all Airlines and the International Airports for compliance adding that Airlines would not allow passengers to board without complying with the conditions stated.
NIGERIA’S RECEPTION OF FOREIGNERS
The Buhari administration made stricter laws to reduce the influx of foreigners into Nigeria. Buhari in 2019 gave a six month grace period to undocumented foreigners above 18 years in the country to get registered or face deportation from January 13th, 2020. It also said Nigerians caught harboring undocumented foreigners will face a 7-year jail term of an option of N1 million fine.
Similarly, in 2018, Buhari signed an executive order 5 prohibiting the ministry of interior from giving visas to foreign workers whose skills are readily available in Nigeria.
However, Improvement in Nigerian Immigration processes has been recorded as one area Buhari got it right.
