Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has emphasized the need to prioritize local manpower, urging Nigerian companies to employ qualified citizens instead of depending on expatriates for roles that can be filled by the local workforce.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement with members of the Organised Private Sector and other industry leaders in Lagos, Tunji-Ojo criticised the continuous requests by companies for expatriate quotas.
He said the trend undermines the development of Nigerian youths and stifles their potential.
The Minister stated that ongoing reforms within the Ministry and the Nigeria Immigration Service—under the new Expatriate Administration System—will put a stop to granting expatriate quotas for jobs that Nigerians can competently execute.
According to him, “This will not only help in the development of the youths’ potentials but also develop the country’s economy.”
Highlighting Nigeria’s youthful population—about 70 per cent of which is under 30—Tunji-Ojo noted that the nation has the talent and expertise required for economic advancement and should no longer depend on foreign labour unnecessarily.
The Minister further announced that the new reforms will take effect from May 1, 2025. Under the new policy, stringent penalties will be enforced against expatriates who overstay their visas.
While some violators who overstay by three months may face financial penalties, the Minister warned of harsher consequences for longer overstays.
Expatriates who overstay for six months will be banned from re-entering Nigeria for five years, while those who exceed their visa duration by a year will face a 10-year entry ban.
As part of the reforms, the Ministry will launch the electronic Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card—a document that legally permits foreign nationals to reside and work in Nigeria.
“The expatriates will no longer have to stress or lobby for the document as they will have to fill the forms online and get the documents in their mail,” the Minister said.
Additional components of the reform include the implementation of an understudy program, a mandatory Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance to be paid alongside CERPAC, and the rollout of a new e-visa system that will guarantee visa issuance within 48 hours—without lobbying.
Tunji-Ojo also revealed that the existing visa-on-arrival arrangement will be phased out and replaced by the e-visa platform. Furthermore, new Landing and Exit Cards will be introduced to enhance data tracking and immigration intelligence.
He concluded that these measures are designed to modernize immigration processes, reduce bureaucracy, and ensure that Nigerians are not sidelined in their own country.
