The Federal government has announced a new policy of reciprocity for foreigners seeking visas to enter the country. This means that Nigeria will treat foreigners in the same way that Nigerians are treated by their respective countries when it comes to visa issuance.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed this on Thursday during the Business Day Conference with the theme “Funding for Change: Building Bridges for a Resilient Nigeria.”
The minister emphasized that the era where countries treated Nigerians lightly in terms of visa issuance was over, and the government would adopt a give-and-take approach.
He stated, “Any country that does not give me a visa on arrival cannot have a visa on arrival in Nigeria. I’m sorry, but it is the truth. We’re not a dumping ground.”
“If you say you are useful, people will see you as being useful. But if you tell people you are useless, people will ask you why are you this useless. We want to partner with you, and so, on the table, we must be equal partners, and our relationship of investment must be on the basis of the principle of reciprocity.”
“So we are doing that to all the countries in the world. The committee is working. I will receive the report tomorrow, you charge me $100 for a visa, I will charge you $100 for a Nigerian visa.
“If you give me a visa on arrival, I will give it to you. If you say the condition for me to enter your country today is that I must have an American visa, Schengen visa, UK visa etc, you will have the same conditions to enter my country. It is not a fight, it is about the issue of mutual respect.”
Tunji-Ojo further mentioned that the government’s intention was not to demand that other nations open their doors to all 220 million Nigerians, but to establish a mutual respect and partnership with countries based on fair and equal terms.
The minister stressed the importance of changing the perception of Nigeria as a nation and building relationships based on mutual respect, especially in matters of visa issuance.
In addition to this new visa policy, the government also plans to introduce stricter surveillance measures at the country’s borders to ensure safety and security within its borders.
