The Federal Government has announced plans to discontinue its visa-on-arrival policy.
As part of the reforms, visitors would be required to complete landing and exit cards before entering or leaving Nigeria.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this known in Abuja at the closing ceremony of a weeklong capacity-building training for Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) personnel on the application of Advance Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record data in national security and law enforcement.
The visa-on-arrival policy, introduced in 2020, allowed eligible travelers, including high-net-worth investors and visitors from countries without Nigerian embassies, to obtain visas at entry points.
However, Dr Tunji-Ojo reiterated that the system was flawed and would be scrapped, emphasizing that the visa process should serve as a migration management tool rather than just an entry approval mechanism.
“The visa system 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. 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 March 1st or peradventure if we are unable to, April 1st, we will hit it live.
And of course, that will lead to the cancellation of the visa-on-arrival process because the visa-on-arrival we understand is not a system that works. After all, 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 and of course, we are also introducing what we call the landing and exit card,” he stated
Digital entry and exit
Tunji-Ojo noted that the mandatory landing and exit cards for visitors would be replacing the current manual system.
The new cards will be integrated with visa and passport systems and linked to global background check systems to enhance data sharing among international agencies.
“A scenario where it is difficult for NIS, on the tip of a finger, to tell me the number of foreigners who are entering Nigeria is unacceptable.
A scenario where somebody comes into Nigeria, disappears, and becomes untraceable is unacceptable. A scenario where there is abuse of immigration policies and processes is unacceptable.”
According to the minister, the reforms will be rolled out with the aim of ensuring international best practices in Nigeria’s migration policies.
API/PNR integration
The minister highlighted the importance of the Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems, which help track and screen travelers before arrival in profiling travelers objectively and eliminating manual and subjective decision-making. He noted that before his tenure, Nigeria lacked this system across international airports.
“Today, we have heard and we have sorted the API across all of our five international airports. 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.
Tunji-Ojo emphasized that the government is moving towards an automated system where visa applications will be processed online and integrated with global security databases.
“That solution will be integrated with the Interpol System, the criminal records system, so that we can be able to make decisions. We do not want foreign attachés approving and issuing visas. It is not going to be that way anymore, we want to be able to screen people more.”
Tighter border controls
In a move to further tighten border security, the minister said that Nigeria would no longer be a safe haven for criminals as data would be harmonized to ensure an integrated system rather than operating in silos.
“Nigeria cannot be a destination for wanted criminals in the world. Nigeria is not a safe haven for any criminal and it will never be.
“What we are doing is to harmonise all these solutions in our data center, harmonise the database and be able to let the solutions speak to one another rather than having solutions in silos,” he stated.
The minister also noted that any decision regarding immigration into Nigeria would require real-time clearance from global security agencies.
“It will be impossible for approvals to be given without the clearance of Interpol, the criminal records system, and all background checking agencies in real-time. Security is not a sector where you can afford to be 99.9% correct. You just have to be 100%. We believe that it is better for us to make decisions based on objectivity rather than subjectivity.”
