38,000 ‘visas on arrival’ issued at Lagos airport

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport command of the Nigeria Immigration Service has issued 38,000 visas on arrival (VoA) in the last one year, Daily Trust can report.

This is even as the Comptroller-General of the service, Mr. Mohammed Babandede, has approved the expansion of the VisaOn-Arrival counters of the service at the airport which would accommodate 100 foreigners at a time, sources at the service told our correspondent yesterday.

The Visa on Arrival, introduced last year, is part of the ease of doing business initiative of the Federal Government which has succeeded in attracting foreign direct investments into the country.

It was gathered that the immigration command issued about 500 to 1000 visas on arrival on a weekly basis.

An immigration official who spoke with our correspondent, said, “For the past one year, we have focused on this visa on arrival issue which is very strategic to the ease of doing business initiative of the Federal Government.

“Passengers requiring visa on arrival are very happy with the initiative. It is very easy to obtain and it is seriously helping business.

“But this is not to say that it is being issued without any check. The people that have been issued the visas were subjected to rigorous background checks before the CGI acceded to their applications”.

Daily Trust reports that the Visa on Arrival is valid for one month and it can be extended provided the foreigner concerned gives genuine reason.

The NIS spokesman, DCI Sunday James, said the Service was committed to safeguarding and protecting Nigerian borders as well as discharging its administrative and operational duties in line with international best practices and respect for the rights of migrants without compromising national security.