FG to cancel Visa-on-Arrival coverage, introduce touchdown, exit playing cards

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By Ibironke Ariyo

The Federal Government has introduced plans to cancel its Visa-on-Arrival coverage and introduce touchdown and exit playing cards, which potential guests will pre-fill earlier than coming into the nation.

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, introduced this in Abuja through the closing ceremony of a weeklong capability constructing coaching organised for personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

The coaching was on Advanced Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record API/PNR Data in National Security and Law Enforcement.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) studies that the FG had in 2020 unveiled the Visa-on-Arrival coverage, a category of short-stay visa issued on the level of entry.

However, Tunji-Ojo had on assumption of workplace in 2023 stated that the Visa-on-Arrival Policy would, henceforth, be primarily based on reciprocity.

This visa is commonly given to ceaselessly travelled excessive web value traders and intending guests who might not be capable to receive visas of their international locations of residence as a result of absence of Nigerian missions or embassies in these international locations.

The Minister of Interior, nonetheless, stated that the API/PNR was not optionally available, recalling that the system was not in place when he was made minister.

According to him, what the API, PNR offers is objectivity in choice making, goal profiling, not subjective profiling.

He added that what existed beforehand was subjective.

“Today, now we have heard and now we have sorted the API throughout all of our 5 worldwide airports.

“We suppose that what we have to do is for us to have the ability to broaden the aptitude of this in an adaptive method to permit different border posts.

“The visa system that is among the core, as a result of I all the time inform folks the visa isn’t just an approval of entry, it’s a migration administration system.

“It is a safety system to handle migration into your nation. So, the best way it’s in the mean time may be very subjective.

“We will not be actually too goal and that’s the reason we’re automating the entire course of 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, April 1st, we will hit it live,” he stated.

Tunji-Ojo stated that the system could be automated, including that folks would apply on-line and the service would do what it wanted to do.

He stated: “That answer shall be built-in with the Interpol System, the legal information system, in order that we are able to be capable to take selections.

“We don’t want overseas attachés approving and issuing visas. It shouldn’t be going to be that means anymore, we would like to have the ability to display screen folks extra.

“Nigeria can’t be a vacation spot for needed criminals on this planet. Nigeria shouldn’t be a protected haven for any legal and it’ll by no means be.

“Another factor we are attempting to do even for our expatriates is to see how we are able to combine all these our immigration options.

“What we’re doing is to harmonise all these options in our information centre, harmonise the database and be capable to let the options communicate to 1 one other somewhat than having options in silos.

“We need to have built-in options. So, what we’re is for any choice that borders on immigration into Nigeria.

“It shall be unimaginable for approvals to be given with out the clearance of Interpol, legal information system and all background checking businesses in actual time.

“Security shouldn’t be a sector the place you’ll be able to afford to be 99.9 per cent right. You simply need to be 100 per cent. We imagine that it’s higher for us to take selections primarily based on objectivity somewhat than subjectivity.

“And after all, that may result in the cancellation of the visa-on-arrival course of as a result of the visa-on-arrival we perceive shouldn’t be a system that works, as a result of I don’t anticipate you to simply come into my nation with out me figuring out that you’re coming into my nation.

“No, it’s by no means finished wherever and naturally, we’re additionally introducing what we name the touchdown and exit card.

“We do it now, but it is manual. We are not going to be doing that anymore. This is 2025. This is not 1825. So, technology must take its place,” he stated.

Speaking additional, Tunji-Ojo stated that folks should fill the touchdown card which might be built-in with the visa answer, the passport answer, and to all background checking programs the world over earlier than a customer comes.

According to him, the ministry will be capable to share this information with different businesses and the world over, to sanitise the method.

He stated, “A state of affairs the place it’s tough for NIS, on the tip of a finger, to inform me the variety of foreigners who’re getting into into Nigeria is unacceptable.

“A state of affairs the place any person comes into Nigeria, disappears and turns into untraceable is unacceptable. A state of affairs the place there’s abuse of immigration insurance policies and processes is unacceptable.

“A state of affairs the place any person wants to return to Nigeria, keep for six months, ready to regularise their residency in Nigeria is unacceptable. It shouldn’t be finished wherever on this planet.

“So, we’re going to carry these large reforms and these reforms begin between March 1 and April 1.

“Why we are trying to do these is to be able to safeguard our people, it’s for us to be responsible in the comity of nations, and for us to be able to contribute our fair quota to international peace,” he maintained.

Earlier, the NIS Comptroller-General, Mrs Kemi Nandap, stated that the programme originated from discussions held with the United Nations Organisation on Counter Terrorism in Bangkok, Thailand in 2024.

“We recognise the necessity to absolutely maximise the administration’s investments on this venture, and so we should interact in a whole lot of capability constructing.

“We have successfully trained over 100 officers drawn from critical areas,” she stated.

Nandap stated the service had a crop of well-trained and patriotic personnel who have been prepared to provide their greatest to the nation. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Christiana Fadare