Buhari unveils Nigeria 2020 visa policy
President Muhammadu Buhari has officially presented to the public the Nigeria visa policy for the year 2020.
Presenting the revised version of the document in Abuja on Tuesday, President Buhari explained that the review of the visa policy is intended to attract innovation, specialised skills and knowledge from abroad to complement local ones.
According to the President, the new policy is a pathway to achieving the security, economy and transparency agenda of president his administration.
The new visa has 79 classes addressing every aspect of human need on entry and exit to Nigeria. The visa policy will be based on the doctrine of reciprocity, flexible and considers national interest.
The new policy is sequel to the pronouncements in November 2019 by the president that a new policy of visa on arrival would be granted to all African travellers starting from January, 2020.
Following the pronouncement, the Nigeria Immigration Service subsequently, rolled out a new visa-on- arrival application process for all business travellers and African Union countries, except for ECOWAS- member countries.
The new policy favours Africans with valid passports who wish to come into the country for a short visit, for businesses, and for tourism, as the visa grants them legal stay for up to 90 days.
Buhari had while announcing the new policy at the Aswan Forum in Egypt, last November stated that “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 visa at the point of entry into Nigeria to all persons holding passports of African countries with effect from January 2020.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has said that the visa on arrival could only be obtained in four international airports, which he listed as Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano and Port Harcourt International Airport.
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He said the Enugu International Airport, which is undergoing renovation, was the fifth airport where the visa could be obtained on arrival.
Comptroller general of immigration service said that every nation has its own visa policy based on its needs, adding that the new policy will take care of emergency, education, religious tourism among others.
