FG to Cancel Visa-on-Arrival Policy, Introduce Landing, Exit Cards
The Federal Government has announced plans to cancel its Visa-on-Arrival policy and introduce landing and exit cards, which prospective visitors will pre-fill before coming into the country.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced this on Friday in Abuja during the closing ceremony of a weeklong capacity building training organised for personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
The training was on Advanced Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record API/PNR Data in National Security and Law Enforcement.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the FG had in 2020 unveiled the Visa-on-Arrival policy, a class of short-stay visa issued at the point of entry.
However, Tunji-Ojo had on assumption of office in 2023 said that the Visa-on-Arrival Policy would, henceforth, be based on reciprocity.
This visa is often given to frequently travelled high NetWorth investors and intending visitors who may not be able to obtain visas in their countries of residence due to the absence of Nigerian missions or embassies in those countries.
The minister of interior, however, said that the API/PNR was not optional, recalling that the system was not in place when he was made minister.
According to him, what the API, PNR gives is objectivity in decision making, objective profiling, not subjective profiling.
He added that what existed previously was subjective.
NAN.
