Nigeria launches online visa facility to attract foreign investors

The NIS (Nigeria Immigration Service) announced the launch of an online visa-on-arrival facility to cater to the general public and more importantly to attract foreign investors to Nigeria. Muhammad Babandede, the Comptroller-General of the NIS, revealed this on 23 March in Abuja, the Nigerian capital. Saying that this initiative was a component of the PEBECs (Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council) resolution, which, he said, was an objective is to attract foreign investors to this West African country. Since Nigeria was a crucial member of PEBEC, the visa application and processing services at all portals were automated by the NIS, said Babandede. He was quoted by the Vanguard as saying that this was to make sure that all authentic requests for visa-on-arrival scheme would be processed and issued within two days for investors from any country. According to him, the online visa-on-arrival and processing scheme is an outcome of strong visa reforms regime, whose intention was to put Nigeria on par with the best practices in the world and draw foreign direct investors and skilled workers to this country. Babandede said that the new process was put in place to do away with all red tape with regard to visa processing in Nigerian Missions all over the world. This measure would also cater to prospective visitors to Nigeria from countries which do not have its mission. oa@nigeriaimmigration.gov.ng was a dedicated email address that was installed to let all visa applicants, their representatives or firms to send their requests and information. Babandede said that he advised the applicants to utilise functional e-mail addresses where approval letter copies could be forwarded after process and payment were completed successfully. If you are looking to travel to Nigeria, get in touch with Y-Axis, a premier immigration consultancy company, to apply for a visa from one of its several global locations.