To Attract Foreign Investments, Encourage Visitations, FG Moves to Review Visa Policy

As part of the efforts to attract foreign investments and encourage visitations, the federal government has said it would undertake a review of the nation’s visa policy.

The Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY and Arise Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, had on Friday charged African leaders to work towards removing visa restrictions in the continent to encourage free movement of persons and goods in the region and promote development.

Obaigbena made the call in Nairobi, Kenya, during the wrap-up session of a three-day AllAfrica Media Leaders’ Summit with the theme: “Re-engineering African Media in Times of Critical Transformation.”

The media mogul was one of the co-chairs of the summit.

Speaking yesterday during a stakeholders’ consultative meeting on Nigeria visa in Abuja, the Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, described as unacceptable the number of visitors into the country last year compared to the population, resources, and opportunities available in the country.

He argued that the policy on visas has to be reviewed to meet the standards of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“We are determined to make sure that in the next couple of weeks, by the grace of God, the new implementation framework will be on the ground.

“And people all over the world will start having easy access to the country. We want to welcome investment and people.

“Just last year, the number of foreign passengers that came to Nigeria whether Nigerians or non, was just less than two million people.

“That is unacceptable for a country of over 200 million people. It means that we are limiting investment and import of forex among other things.

“So, once we get the visa policy right, and we get the implementation framework perfect, then definitely economic prosperity will come,” Tunji-Ojo said.

The minister further maintained the country would consider a visa policy that would attract investments and encourage visitors to visit Nigeria from across the world without putting the country's security in jeopardy.

He said though it was difficult striking a balance between easy access to visa and national security considering its delicate nature “if gotten right, it would no doubt lead to a healthy investment promotion for Nigeria “.

He said: “You see, seamless access to any country is key for investment promotion, job creation, foreign direct investment. In short, it is key to whatever a particular country wants to do or achieve to enable its progress.

“The logic is that everything is built on effective visa administration. So, we are here to talk about it and to be able to streamline the process for the better.

“Especially, in areas of short stay visa and even our other categories of visa to see how we can optimise them and make it more efficient in such a way that will be able to attract more investment”.