Nigeria’s New Visa-on-arrival Policy, Not Abolished, Reps Spokesman Tunji-ojo, Here Is All You Need To Know

Sunday, July 13, 2025

The Nigerian authorities has made a awesome leap successful strengthening its visa-on-arrival (VOA) policy, aft speculations and apprehensions of having it canceled. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo stated that VOA argumentation and process of nan state has not been abolished, but has been upgraded to heighten easiness of doing business successful nan state arsenic good arsenic pull overseas investment. The argumentation alteration is viewed arsenic portion of nan government’s wide push to amended nan country’s business environment, amended ratio and make it easier for world travelers and investors to entree nan country.

Response of nan Interior Minister

The improvement was disclosed during a closed-door gathering astatine Abuja wherever nan Minister of Interior had relationship pinch a delegation from nan Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC). In a connection astatine nan play to explain nan policy, Princess Zahrah Audu, nan Director General of PEBEC, explained that nan argumentation was not astir stopping Nigerians from applying for visas for immoderate reasons, but to protect Nigerian travellers. The announcement runs against nan backdrop of accrued hostility and investor-anguish, regarding which guidance nan Nigerian authorities is heading to, pinch respect to its business, tourism and finance interests basking connected nan heels of a determination imposed connected nan country’s visitors, backmost successful September of 2019.

Tunji-Ojo added that notwithstanding nan wide rumour, that nan VOA argumentation was still very overmuch successful place. Instead it has been re-designed to make it much functional and user-friendly. The businesses and travellers were encouraged erstwhile nan interior curate gave nan assurance that nan mendacious siren created an unnecessary panic arsenic they were worried that nan cancellation would disrupt their plans of recreation and investments successful Nigeria.

What Would Upgrading nan VOA Actually Accomplish?

Tunji-Ojo said nan request to reappraisal nan VOA argumentation was to make visa processing effective and efficient. The adjustments are aimed astatine diminishing delays, cutting discarded and making nan procedures easier for nan foreigners visiting Nigeria. With nan caller system, Nigeria intends to present a much modern and automated conception of visa issuance which will beryllium beneficial to Nigerians and foreigners, and will spell a agelong measurement successful helping nan state show its borders much efficiently.

Under nan caller system, visitors tin use online for a short-stay visa and tin person support wrong 24 to 48 hours. This expedited process is simply a invited change, arsenic it eliminates nan agelong hold clip customarily associated pinch visa applications. He noted that travelers to nan state would nary longer request to prime up a beingness visa sticker upon presence successful Nigeria. Instead, successful applicants will find their visas successful their email inboxes.

The translator to integer approvals follows world trends, pinch countries astir nan world progressively migrating to online visas to facilitate introduction to recreation markets much efficiently. It represents a awesome stride for Nigeria successful modernisation and enhanced monitoring of nan introduction and exit of persons into it.

Salient Features of nan Hotline-Based Visa-on-Arrival Facilitation

The update successful Nigeria’s VOA argumentation comes pinch immoderate caller features designed to make recreation successful and retired of nan state effortlessly easy for visitors – Road warriors sidesplitting it connected their business trips and visitors both. These features include:

Quicker Processing Times: One of nan biggest complaints pinch nan aged VOA strategy was nan processing time. And nan caller strategy has eliminated nan agelong hold knowledgeable successful nan past, pinch visa approvals issued wrong 24 to 48 hours.

Online Application and Approval: With nan caller VOA system, visitors tin use for their short-stay visas online. The full process of applying, submitting and approving tin now beryllium done electronically which minimises nan insubstantial and manual intervention.

Email Visa Delivery: After approval, nan visa will beryllium sent to nan applicant’s email inbox alternatively than nan accustomed visa sticker which travelers would person to prime up connected arrival. This online exertion will velocity up deportation process and fto airdrome officials process nan paperwork much quickly, which is simply a definite triumph for businessmen connected nan go!

Efficient Border Management: Migration towards online approvals will besides spend improved guidance and power of travelers coming into Nigeria. The enhanced strategy will supply greater ratio of automation that will alteration separator information labor to process arriving visitors much effectively.

Improved Security and Control: By digitizing nan support process, nan Nigerian authorities is amended equipped to show and power nan proscription of individuals. The strategy will make it easier to cod much meticulous data, enabling authorities to much easy spot imaginable information risks and way travelers’ movements. This will thief supply a safer and much unafraid situation for some visitors and locals alike.

Implications for Nigeria’s Business Climate and Foreign Investment

The reappraisal of nan VOA argumentation is portion of nan wide betterment schedule of nan Federal Government aimed astatine creating a much friends business situation successful Nigeria. In statement pinch nan objectives of nan Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), nan reforms are designed to trim complexity successful doing business, to alteration overseas finance successful Nigeria, and to amended Nigeria’s business situation for section businesses.

Not only does this show that Nigeria is superior astir becoming a much business-friendly destination, it will besides expedite nan process for obtaining a visa. The expedited process is beneficial to overseas investors being that they tin summation introduction to nan state without being delayed, hence nan boost successful Nigeria’s inclination arsenic nan preferred destination for investments. The second is peculiarly nan lawsuit for industries specified arsenic IT, manufacturing and tourism, wherever accelerated entree to nan state is cardinal to maturation and development.

Foreign companies seeking to task into nan Nigerian marketplace will besides find it easier to nonstop their executives and unit for short visit, waste and acquisition exhibitions and business meetings without facing nan hassles of agelong visa processing. Consequently, this boost provides a caller impetus for Nigeria’s ambition to look arsenic a captious centre for business and finance successful Africa.

Dealing With Mixed Investor and Traveler Reactions

While nan explanation by Minister Tunji-Ojo has calmed nan fears of many, location has been mixed reactions from nan business and recreation communities regarding nan VOA argumentation change. Some investors and travelers said they were worried astir nan move to nan caller system, peculiarly nan sticking points of online applications and approvals.

But nan Ministry of Interior and nan Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council person assured nan state that processes would beryllium activated to make life easier for nan masses. These comprises providing nan basal method support for clients who whitethorn acquisition problems utilizing nan caller online system, and communicating nan process of exertion and postulation of nan caller integer visa.

Next Up: Nigeria’s Role arsenic a Gateway for Business and Travel

The betterment of Nigeria’s Visa-on-Arrival argumentation is portion of nan country’s moves to move nan state into an charismatic spot to do business and for leisure visits. As Nigeria sets retired to go nan gateway to economical maturation successful Africa, and economically repositioning, it is important for it to enact policies that will alteration overseas investors and travelers to person easiness of entrance.

With nan caller strategy subjected into action, it is expected that Nigeria will acquisition an influx of visitors and investors some astatine location and abroad, adding greater worth to its system and positioning it powerfully arsenic a ascendant unit successful nan world of arts and commerce. Nigeria is besides making advancement by modernising its systems and infrastructure, laying nan groundwork for nan state to turn and prosper successful nan future.

Finally, nan enhanced VOA argumentation represents a important measurement successful Nigeria’s continued efforts to facilitate a much convenient, much secure, and much welcoming situation for each morganatic world travellers and investors. With nan federation progressively modernizing its systems, these changes will hopefully service arsenic incentives for much world attention, maturation successful nan system and unafraid Nigeria’s position arsenic nan number 1 spot to do business successful Africa.