President Buhari Approves Visa-On-Arrival To All African Visitors To Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria has announced the country will begin issuing visas on arrival for all African nationals as from 2020.

Naija News understands that the President of Nigeria made the promise at the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, holding in Egypt.

The change in visa policy by Nigeria comes on the back of the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, a treaty seeking to establish a continent-wide marketplace with increased trade and freer movement among its major pillars.

Naija News recalls that the Nigerian government had earlier announced visa on arrival policy last year for some selected categories of people. Over 2,000 of such visas were given to potential investors at Nigeria’s main airport in Lagos in July, an official said.

In his speech at the Egypt event, Buhari emphasized the need to resolve conflicts across Africa.

“As Africans, it is important to focus on the issues of conflict prevention and resolution. Conflicts have devastating effects on our societies and they militate against our progress. In this regard, the need to silence the guns cannot be overemphasized,” he said.

When this policy comes into play, Nigeria will join Kenya and Ethiopia as countries which have recently established visa on arrival policies for all African nationals.