FG targets 48-hour visa processing timeline for foreigners

The Federal Government is targeting a 48-hour maximum visa processing timeline for foreigners coming into Nigeria.

While declaring open a training session on E-visa for 162 officers drawn from various formations across the country on Friday in Abuja, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the government would ensure that foreigners seeking visa into Nigeria could get the document within 24 to 48 hours of application.

“We want a scenario where it becomes easier for people to come into Nigeria. We want to be able to open our borders for economic participation, tourism, and all short-stay visas.

“Let’s allow people to come, and let’s not do that by compromising national security, and we believe sincerely that we can get a fair mix of both in terms of convenience and national security.

“So the whole idea for me, of the E-visa solution, is where people will be able to apply and get their visas electronically and from application to approval. I think most of the time it should be within 24 hours, or maximum 48 hours,” he said.

The minister told the participant to buckle up for the task ahead, adding that, “because you’re going to be responsible for the turnaround, in terms of user experience, we don’t want people to wait forever to get visas to Nigeria.”

Speaking earlier, the NIS Comptroller General, Kemi Nana-Nandap, described the training exercise as a significant one, adding that the selected officers have been thoroughly vetted.

“Not only are we doing proper and thorough vetting, but we’re also going to make sure that we have the documentation being warehoused, and not just warehoused, but warehoused with NIS,” she said.

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