The Nigerian Government has announced plans to cancel its visa-on-arrival policy and introduce landing and exit cards, which prospective visitors will pre-fill before coming into and leaving the country.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced this on Friday in Abuja during the closing ceremony of a weeklong capacity-building training organised for personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
The training was on Advanced Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record API/PNR Data in National Security and Law Enforcement.
“And of course, that will lead to the cancellation of the visa on arrival process because the visa on arrival, we understand is not a system that works, because I don’t expect you to just come into my country without me knowing that you are coming into my country. No, it is never done anywhere and of course, we are also introducing what we call the landing and exit card,” he stated.
Recall that the Nigerian Government had in 2020 introduced the visa-on-arrival policy, a class of short-stay visa issued at the point of entry, however, Mr. Tunji-Ojo on assumption of office in 2023 said the visa-on-arrival Policy would henceforth be based on reciprocity.
The Minister, who assured of more improvements in the services of Nigerian Immigration noted that the Ministry is poised to adapt some of the information systems into the country’s land borders.
“Because we realized the pattern of recent, I think, over the last couple of weeks, that a lot of people would rather fly to neighbouring countries and come into Nigeria through the land borders to evade the API-PNR system,” the Minister noted.
On the e-visa solution, the Minister remarked that the Ministry is working hard to meet the first of March or peradventure if unable, the 1st of April.
“We automate the system. People apply online and we will do what we need to do. That solution will be integrated with the Interpol system, the criminal records system, so that we can be able to make decisions. We do not want foreign attachés approving and issuing visas. It is not going to be that anymore, we want to be able to screen people more,” he said.
He said they have planned to integrate and harmonize all the immigration database solutions rather than having solutions in silos.
“We want to have integrated solutions. So what we are looking at is that for any decision that borders on immigration into Nigeria, it will be impossible for approvals to be given without the clearance of Interpol, the criminal records system, and all background checking agencies in real-time. Security is not a sector where you can afford to be 99.9% correct. You just have to be 100%. We believe that it is better for us to make decisions based on objectivity rather than subjectivity,” Tunji-Ojo remarked.
In her remarks, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap promised that the knowledge acquired by the officers would be put into proper use and commended the Minister for being supportive in the affairs of the Nigeria Immigration Service, which she said has assisted in revamping the service to meet up with its set objectives.
Nandap assured that more strategic action plans have been designed to reposition the Service better.
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