President Muhammadu Buhari has officially launched the Nigerian Visa Policy 2020, designed to support the attainment of the economic recovery and growth plan.
According to the President, the new policy is a pathway to achieving the security, economy and transparency agenda of president his administration.
The new visa has 79 classes addressing every aspect of human need on entry and exit to Nigeria. The Visa policy will be based on the doctrine of reciprocity, flexible and considers national interest.
The new policy is sequel to the pronouncements in November 2019 by the president, that a new policy of visa on arrival would be granted to all African travellers starting from January, 2020.
Following the pronouncement, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), subsequently rolled out a new Visa-on- Arrival Application Process for all Business Travellers and African Union Countries, except for ECOWAS member countries.
The new policy favours Africans with valid passports who wish to come into the country for a short visit, for businesses, and for tourism, as the Visa grants them legal stay for up to 90 days.
President Buhari had while announcing the new policy at the Aswan Forum in Egypt, last November, stated that: “We in Nigeria have already taken the strategic decision to bring down barriers that have hindered the free movement of our people within the continent by introducing the issuance of visa at the point of entry into Nigeria to all persons holding passports of African countries with effect from January 2020.”
