Now is the best time for Nigerians to travel abroad – Olushola Michaels
Olushola Michaels, Nollywood actor, and visa expert, has weighed in on the ever-trending topic of travel and tourism.
Michaels, who is the CEO of Forbes Global Project, a leading Nigerian travel and tourism agency known for its moneyback guarantee, has stated that unknown to many, this season is the perfect time for Nigerians to sojourn into the diaspora as many countries of the world are waiting for Nigerians.
“When the economy newly reopened, we did not do much. But now that embassies are opening up, now is the time to apply for visas. A lot of countries need people now to work. People are afraid to go and work for many reasons including COVID-19. Countries are looking for immigrants, from Canada to New Zealand, to Australia, even US, UK and a lot of them. Their citizens will not go out to work because they know that they will get paid irrespective of whether they go or not. I am a global citizen, so I know this for sure. They pay their citizens because they do not want them to resort to crime to survive. If you are getting that, why would you want to risk your life with a pandemic in play? All these have created a shortage in the workforce, so this is the time to
apply for a visa,” he said.
Michaels, who shot and produced over 15 movies within a year of breaking into Nollywood, and has been in the visa assistance business for the past 18 years, also revealed why Forbes has remained a leading factor in the visa procurement business. He said, “We work with different lawyers in different countries, and in most cases, I travel to different parts of the world to help people sort out issues they have legally. The bottom line is that we are in the business of migration and immigration, and we are the only ones in the whole of Nigeria that do money-back guarantee. What that means is that when you come to us as a business, we give you a standard agreement form that we both sign. The agreement states simply that if you are refused a visa or it is delayed beyond the time we have given you, we refund your money. This is what we are known for.”
Also speaking on Nigeria’s reputation, he revealed that it is not a general perception. Backing his statement up with facts, he said, “If you listen to a recent US survey on foreign nationals that live in the US, Nigerians are the ones doing best. In the UK, they might say it is the Indians, but Nigerians are one of the biggest successes. We study, we are the best in any field we go to, so whatever has happened with some bad eggs, that does not reflect on all Nigerians, it is merely a fraction of Nigerians in diaspora.”