The development is aimed at boosting foreign direct investment
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), on Wednesday, approved a new visa regime which it said is aimed at boosting investment, tourism, generating employment as well as fighting terrorism.
Information Minister Labaran Maku said that in this era of competition, Nigeria was following the steps of countries that have tried to make it easier for potential investors by making their visa policies liberal.
He said the new visa policy will make it possible for foreigners to access Nigeria’s visa at various international points of entries into the country.
“Most significantly is the fact that we have been, in recent time, witnessing security challenges in our country and it becomes necessary that we must attack the problem from all sides; and the way you enter and get out of Nigeria constitutes a very vital component of fighting internal security,” he said. “So today, we have a new visa regime that contains some innovations in the sense that new elements are being introduced in line with the strategic interest of Nigeria. We now have visa at entry point.
So if a businessman, a tourist or a business delegation or a government delegation have reason to visit Nigeria at short notice to do business with Nigeria, and if by any coincidence we don’t have embassy in such country, such delegation or group can come to Nigeria and obtain their visas at point of entry particularly at international airports. Of course, this is without prejudice to ensuring our internal security.”
According to him, the new policy will have short stay visa, long term visa (of up to 10 years), temporary stay visa, and permanent resident visa. “And of course a new introduction now is that we have investment or skill transfer visa category,” he said. “In this case, if you have a particular level of investment you want to make in Nigeria that can add value to the economy of the country, you can be given certain category of visa.”
“In conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Labour, if we classify certain skills as valuable to Nigeria that we don’t have here, then we can on the basis of such skills grant you visa. By and large, with the approval of this new visa regime for Nigeria, we hope that we will be able to attract more foreign investments to Nigeria.”
