Government vows to fight delay in visa issuance to Nigerians

-Federal government vows to no longer tolerate delays in visa issuance to its citizens. 

-Government also promised to work on the ease of doing business in the country in order to attract more foreign investment to the country.

Nigeria has vowed to retaliate against countries that contribute to the delay/ refusal in the issuance of visas to its citizens, promising to no longer treat the situation as business as usual.

The government also resolved to tackle all issues militating against visa issuance.

The government position was disclosed by the nation’s minister of interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), in a stakeholders meeting which held in Abuja on Monday and  also had in attendance, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami as well as the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede.

Dambazau said:

“It is embarrassing that one will want visa and will have unnecessary delay from the issuance countries.

“We as a country needs to take our stand; we should deal with any country the way they deal with us on visa issuance.

“They should not think that we need them more than they need us,” he said.

Adding his voice to the issue, Babandede, spoke in support of the minister’s stand on the issue.

He said: “What we are saying is that we as a country, we would also like to retaliate.

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“Anybody who delays visa for our nationals, we would also do the same as a country because we have a pride as a nation.”

“We are committed to issue visa on time and passport to our nationals wherever they are”.

Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister, Geofferey Onyeama said that the meeting was to seek ways of making business transactions easier in the country and find solutions to other identified challenges.

“As part of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, the issue, as you know, some of the deliverables are there and it is for consular services that we also have to work hard together.

“So, we have always felt that we should all try and be speaking to each other.