Nation
Nigerians Spend $1bn To Buy Citizenship, Golden Visas Abroad
Some rich Nigerians have spent over $1billion this year alone buying themselves citizenship of other countries or golden visas as they plan ahead for safe haven should Nigeria collapse as a nation.
The $1billion is a conservative estimate, given the number of applications processed by the citizenship advisory firms.
According to a report published by Al Jazeera, more Nigerians paid for citizenship or golden visas this year, than in other years.
At London-based Henley & Partners, one of the world’s largest citizenship advisory firms, applications by Nigerians increased by 185 per cent during the eight months to September 2020, making them the second-largest nationality to apply for such schemes after Indians.
More than 1,000 Nigerians have enquired about the citizenship of another country through Henley & Partners this year alone, which Paddy Blewer, head of marketing, said “is unheard of.
“We’ve never had this many people contacting us”, Blewer said.
Arton Capital, a citizenship advisory group, said demand from Nigerian families for Antigua and Barbuda citizenship is up 15 percent this year compared with the last.
St Lucia has also seen a record number of Nigerians applying in 2020.
CEO of the St Lucia Citizenship-by-Investment Unit, Nestor Alfred, said “It’s more than it’s ever been over the past four years”.
The rush to escape from Nigeria reached the apogee in July, with the Coronavirus epidemic raging.
Another propelling factor has been the recent #EndSARS protest, according to the report.
A Nigerian interviewed, cited the escalation of Covid-19 cases in Nigeria as a reason wealthy Nigerians started looking more seriously at citizenship abroad.
“Those with medical conditions that could not fly out – a lot of them are buying passports just because if there is any problem they can fly out,” said Olusegun Paul Andrew, 56, a Nigerian entrepreneur and investor who spends much of the year in the Netherlands.
“Flying out” of Nigeria is hard and not just because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Just 26 countries allow Nigerian passport holders visa-free entry; many of them part of West Africa’s ECOWAS arrangement.
Both the United Kingdom and Europe’s Schengen zone require Nigerians to obtain visas ahead of travelling.
For the wealthy, this is too much hassle.
“They don’t want to be queuing for visas for any EU country or whatever,” Andrew said.
Instead, why not purchase the citizenship of a country with visa-free access to Europe?
According to the report, the destinations of Nigerians seeking citizenship or golden visas are Malta and many Caribbean nations.
In Malta, all they need to do for citizenship is to have an investment of between $100,000 to $800,000 in the country.
In St Kitts and Nevis, a passport can cost as much as $400,000.
The passport opens doors to Europe and America, where they do not to get visas anymore.
Bimpe, a wealthy Nigerian who was interviewed for the report said she has three passports: one Nigerian, which she says she never uses, and two from Caribbean nations – St Kitts and Nevis – and Grenada.
“The St Kitts and Nevis passport, which cost her $400,000 via a real estate investment programme, was useful when she travelled between London and New York on business as it allows for visa-free travel to the UK and Europe. But now that she has retired in Abuja, Bimpe, whose husband has passed away, wants her three adult sons to have the same opportunities to travel and live abroad.
“My kids were interested in visa-free travel. They are young graduates, wanting to explore the world. So, that was the reason for my investment,” she explains.
“Her investment to gain a Grenada passport for herself and her sons took the form of a $300,000 stake in the Six Senses La Sagesse hotel on the Caribbean island, which she bought in 2015 through a property development group called Range Developments. Like most countries offering their citizenship for sale, Grenada allows real estate investments to qualify for a passport”.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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