The Federal Government is poised to revise the nation’s visa policy to stimulate foreign investments and enhance visits to Nigeria.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced during a stakeholders consultative meeting on Nigeria visa in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo highlighted that the current visitor numbers from last year were inadequate considering Nigeria’s population and resources.
He emphasized the need to align the visa policy with President Bola Tinubu‘s Renewed Hope Agenda to foster economic growth and development.
The minister underscored the importance of striking a balance between facilitating easy access to visas and maintaining national security.
He acknowledged the delicate nature of the balance but emphasized the potential benefits, including investment promotion, job creation, and foreign direct investment.
”An efficient visa policy is fundamental for investment promotion and economic progress,” he noted.
He also expressed the government’s commitment to optimizing the visa process to attract more investment and streamline visa categories for efficiency.
The minister envisioned that an improved visa policy would not only facilitate investment but also ”open up opportunities for tourism and infrastructural development.”
”This administration is determined to make Nigeria’s visa policy the best globally,” he added.
The minister reassured Nigerians that the government’s commitment to revising the visa policy is not just rhetoric but a tangible effort to actualize positive change.
”This stakeholders’ meeting aims to deliberate on leveraging technology to reduce visa processing time and enhance accessibility to visa application mechanisms.
”We intend to create a competitive visa framework aligned with global standards to attract more visitors and investments to Nigeria,” he stated.
On her part, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Aishetu Ndayako, echoed the importance of visa regulations in national development.
”Collective efforts are needed to shape future visa regulations and procedures for the benefit of individuals, businesses, and the nation as a whole,” she said.
Recall that the Federal Government recently introduced a handbook to streamline the acquisition and administration of Nigerian citizenship.
The handbook delineates criteria for foreigners and citizens born abroad to acquire Nigerian citizenship.
It also includes provisions for “citizenship by investment,” requiring evidence of a minimum investment amount set at $1 million.