Henceforth, foreign nationals coming into Nigeria to make money, but whose countries fail to remove all bureaucratic barriers hindering Nigerian businessmen and others from getting visa-on-arrival in their countries, will no longer enjoy the Visa-on-Arrival (VOA) privilege into Nigeria.
The minister of interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who revealed that the lopsided practice was not in the public domain, said the country was set to commence the execution of the principle of reciprocity in international relations.
While insisting that equity and reciprocity must be invoked and observed, forthwith, Dr. Tunji-Ojo said, “It is rather irksome, pugnacious and indeed humiliating to an average Nigerian business person to be subjected to the rigorous visa application processes at the same countries whose nationals enjoy Nigeria Visa-on-Arrival Policy ( VOA)
Tunji-Ojo vented out his anger at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, stressing that “Nigeria cannot be offering visas on a platter to nationals of some countries who are coming to the country to make money, and yet such countries would not reciprocate the gesture to Nigeria’s travelling public who go to such countries to spend their money.
According to him, past political leaders may have been entirely oblivious of this awesome and enviable status of Nigeria in the comity of nations, but that will be no more.
“Enough is enough. Compare and contrast these attractive qualities that Nigeria possess with other African nations; you will be amazed what clear difference there is,” he added.
The minister lamented further that the issue was not just humiliating to an average Nigerian business person to be subjected to the rigorous visa application processes at the same countries whose nationals enjoy Nigeria VOA but also to the country.
He said most times, before these Nigerians are considered, lengthy period of time may have elapsed.
“Nigerians go through hell to go to some countries, for instance, even though a large percentage of them go there to import goods running into millions of dollars. This is quite a paradox, an incomprehensible thing to any right-thinking person. Hundreds of dollars are paid to secure letters of invitation, and including a certain coded letter from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and the provision of these do not yet guarantee expedited processing or ultimate application approval.
He said, “We have set up a committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary to review our passport and Visa policy. The director, Joint Services is the secretary and Nigeria Immigration boss, is a member among others.
The committee has about two weeks to submit its report. Once we enforce this principle of reciprocity, people will call us to talk too because most of these people who come to Nigeria come to make money and yet we go to their own countries to spend money. Yet, they make it difficult for Nigerians. We are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this”.
Visa is based on reciprocity everywhere in the world, even by international conventions, and that is why we are seriously looking at this our Visa on arrival policy.
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