Nigeria To Review Visa On Arrival Policy
The Federal Government has began the execution of the principle of reciprocity in international relations, especially concerning its Visa on Arrival policy.
A committee headed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Oluwatoyin Akinlade, has been organized to come up with a report on how to implement the strategy.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed this on Wednesday, during the inauguration of the committee in Abuja.
According to Tunji-Ojo, Nigeria cannot be offering visas on a silver platter to nationals of some countries who are coming to the country to make money, and yet such countries would not reciprocate the gesture to Nigerians who go to such countries to spend their money.
He said, “We have set up a committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary to review our passport and Visa policy. The Director Joint Services is the secretary and NIS CG is a member among others.
“Nigeria is not a thrash and we cannot be treated as such. Visa is based on reciprocity anywhere in the world and that is why we are seriously looking at this visa visa-on-arrival. There is no point allowing someone enjoy that when he gets to Nigeria and we don’t enjoy that when we go there.”
Once we enforce this principle of reciprocity, people will call us to talk too because most of these people who come to Nigeria come to make money and yet we go to their own countries to spend money. Yet, they make it difficult for Nigerians. We are working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this,” he added.
