The Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador
Sonni Yusuf, has said that with the new Nigeria

visa policy, investors and high value businessmen can obtain
long visa from one to five years.

Yusuf told members of foreign diplomatic missions in South
Africa at Nigeria’s 52nd Independence Anniversary luncheon in Pretoria on
Tuesday that Nigeria had achieved 24 hours timeline for business registration.

“Specifically we have achieved a 24 hours timeline for
business registration for local and foreign investors, improved the efficiency
of our ports for clearing of goods to under a week, and put in place measures
to ensure faster repatriation of profits by foreign investors.

“In addition, we have in place a new visa policy that makes
it easier for investors and high value businessmen to obtain long visa from one
to five years, while licences in our mining sector are obtainable in less than
a month, Yusuf said.

He said the development is anchored on the re-focusing the
country’s foreign policy on economic diplomacy.

“It is because it is Nigeria’s primary objective to be among
the top twenty economies in the world by year 2020,’’ Yusuf said.

He expressed appreciation of the government and people of
Nigerian to the country’s development partners and friends for keeping faith
with country in view of the country’s economic potential.

“To our host, the people and government of Republic of South
Africa, the sustained progress we have made since the establishment of
diplomatic relation between our countries holds abundant promise for the
development of our two great countries and the Africa continent.

“We shall continue to strive to maintain our mutual resolve
for consultation, cooperation and collaboration at bilateral and multilateral
level for the benefit our people and Africa,’’Yusuf said.

Dr Cocek Pekade, the Director-General, Department of Social
Development, said that the friendship between Nigeria and South Africa predated
the post –apartheid era.

“The immense contribution of the Nigerian government to the
eradication of the apartheid regime and the leadership role Nigeria played at
the sub-regional and continental levels as well as at the global level can
never be over emphasized,’’ Pekade said.