New Visa Policy, Good But…

The Federal Government, recently launched in Abuja a new visa policy to propel Nigeria to attain a globally competitive economy, with a view to improving the country’s business environment and boost tourism.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who performed the launch, in company of the Minister of Interior, Mr. Raaf Aregbesola; and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. Mohammed Babandede, said the document sought to complement the Federal Government’s efforts towards protecting Nigeria’s national identity as well as the defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
As it were, under the policy, Africans willing to visit the country without visa can now obtain visas on arrival at four entry ports excluding the land borders.
The new visa policy broadens the scope of visa obtainment in Nigeria from the hitherto existing six categories to 79.
The policy, according to the President, was aimed at attracting innovation as well as specialized skills and knowledge to complement what is locally available, and propel Nigeria to attain a globally competitive economy, improved business environment and by so doing, boosts the country’s tourism potentials.
It said the new policy also provides the platform to achieve what he described as African integration without compromising national security.
The visa on arrival policy could only be obtained in four international airports; namely; the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport; Murtala Mohammed International Airport; Aminu Kano International Airport; and Port Harcourt International Airport.
Briefing journalists after the launch, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said the new policy comprises special offers to Nigerians in Diaspora with dual citizenships, as this entails that they will now be able to make use of the passports of their adopted countries to visit Nigeria without the need for short stay visas.
According to the minister, although there were three initial visa classifications, which include short visit, temporary and permanent visa categories, they were later increased to six classifications and have now been raised to 79 to address every aspect of human needs from entry to exit.
The minister further explained that the process has been digitalised in a way that the involvement of human elements in the process is drastically reduced as applications and payments will be made online, adding that the visa categories were expanded to 79 groups because Nigeria wants to be detailed with enhanced security in such a way that if anyone beats security watch at one point, he would be caught at the other end.
According to him, the 79 categories cover various spheres of activities which include visa to boost the economy, visa for education for students, visa for religious tourism, medical tourism visa, journalist visa, among others.
On measures to curtail the abuse of the new visa policy through the land borders, he said even though in line with the ECOWAS treaty, there is free movement among member states, any West African citizen entering through the land borders must possess the usual valid travel documents, adding, however, that such arrangement is only applicable for people paying a short visit to the country.
The Tide notes that several Nigerians and organisations have reacted to the launch of the new visa policy by the Federal Government with some applauding it and others picking holes in it.
For instance, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) believes that the revised version unveiled by the Federal Government would aid economic integration, facilitate trade and investment in the country and creates jobs but cautions that individuals should be subjected to rigorous processes and screening before departure from the affected countries.
The Tide believes that as lofty and well-intended the new visa policy may be, it is a very ambitious project, because the country is not yet ripe and mature for it now. We say so because the Federal Government has not yet put measures on ground to make it work effectively.
It is unfortunate that the policy is coming on stream at a time the country is ranked third in the Global Terrorism Report Index. The fear that the policy may further compound the country’s deplorable security situation is not unfounded. This is because it has the capacity of making the country an all-comers’ affair and a place where criminals fleeing other countries may have a safe haven.
Again, it is not out of place to think that the notorious ‘Nigerian factor’ syndrome may also creep in to make nonsense of the new visa policy. This is because today, we do not have a reliable data base on the accurate number of foreign nationals in our midst. There is also nothing in place to regulate the movement of such persons in the country.
This is even made more worrisome by the sheer fact that there are no accurate statistics to show the correct population of the country. The figures we have at our disposal are based on conjectures. The Federal Government must first and foremost start addressing these anomalies.
It is unfortunate that the current leaders of the country dwell on the issue of attracting foreign direct investments into the country without making commensurate efforts to actually make the country very attractive for investors by taking more pragmatic steps to develop the country’s infrastructure: roads, power, schools, water, hospitals, among others. Whereas these things are taken for granted in other places, here, they do not seem to work.
There is, therefore, the urgent need to create a conducive environment in the country for not only businesses to thrive but also to make Nigeria a great country for the citizens, where hunger, poverty, disease and insecurity which have today seemingly buffeted them on every side, will be a thing of the past.
We strongly believe that it is only in this way that the new visa policy of the government will make meaning. In this way, it would be able to achieve its objectives.