Nigeria ends visa on arrival, adopts strict immigration reforms
By Ukpono Ukpong
As part of sweeping reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s immigration system, the Federal Government has announced plans to end the visa-on-arrival policy.
The Minister of Interior disclosed this at the closing ceremony of a five-day capacity-building training on the Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API-PNR) system for 100 immigration officers in Abuja.
Speaking on the importance of the API-PNR system, the minister emphasized its role in ensuring objectivity in immigration decisions.
“What the API, PNR gives us is objectivity in decision making, objective profiling, not subjective profiling. What we had was subjective,” he stated.
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He revealed that the API-PNR system had already been implemented across Nigeria’s five international airports. However, due to recent trends, where individuals fly into neighboring countries to enter Nigeria through land borders, the government is considering expanding the system to cover land entry points.
“Today, we have had, we have sorted the API across all of our five international airports and we are looking at working with you more on the issue of adapting some of these into our land borders because it is also very key,” he said. “Because we realized the pattern, of recent, I think, over the last couple of weeks, that a lot of people would rather fly to neighboring countries and come into Nigeria through the land borders to evade the API PNR system. So we have seen that pattern.”
To address this loophole, he stressed the need for adaptive expansion. “We think that what we need to do is for us to be able to expand the capability of this in an adaptive manner to allow other border posts,” he added.
On the decision to phase out visa on arrival, the minister explained that visas serve as a migration management and security tool.
“The visa system, that is one of the core, because I always tell people the visa is not just an approval of entry, it is a migration management device. It is a security device to manage migration into your country,” he said.
He criticized the current visa approval process for lacking objectivity and revealed that an automated e-visa system will replace it.
“So the way it is at the moment is very subjective. We are not really too objective and that is why we are automating the whole process end-to-end. And the e-visa solution, we are working hard to be able to meet the first of March or peradventure if we are unable, the 1st of April, we will hit it live,” he disclosed.
The minister assured that the e-visa system would integrate security databases, ensuring a more rigorous screening process.
“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 take decisions,” he stated.
Foreign attachés will no longer be responsible for issuing visas, a move aimed at preventing abuse. “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,” the minister said.
Reiterating Nigeria’s commitment to security, he declared, “This cannot be a destination for wanted criminals in the world. Nigeria is not a safe haven for any criminal and it will never be.”
The government also plans to integrate various immigration solutions into a centralized system to eliminate inefficiencies.
“What we are doing is to harmonize all these solutions in our data centre, harmonize the database and be able to let the solutions speak to one another rather than having solutions in silos,” he explained.
The new system will require all immigration-related decisions to pass through security clearances in real-time.
“For any decision that borders on immigration into Nigeria, it will be impossible for approvals to be given without the clearance of Interpol, criminal records system and all background checking agencies in real time,” he emphasized.
As part of these reforms, the visa-on-arrival policy will be scrapped.
“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,” he stated.
To further enhance security, the government is introducing a digital landing and exit card system to replace the manual process.
“People must fill the landing card which will be integrated with the visa solution, integrated with the passport solution, then to all background checking systems across the world before you come,” he announced.
The minister assured that the reforms, scheduled for implementation between March 1 and April 1, aim to enhance national security and position Nigeria as a responsible global player.
“Why we are trying to do this is to be able to safeguard our people, is for us to be responsible in the comity of nations, and for us to be able to contribute our fair quota to international peace,” he concluded.
