Visa-on-Arrival policy to advance FG’s (ERGP), integration and a unified Africa - NIS

The Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), is to be advanced by the recently introduced Visa-on-Arrival policy.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Comptroller-General, Mr. Muhammad Babandede who said this in Abuja on Thursday in a signed document stressed that it would also ensure integrated and a unified Africa.

“The benefit of the Visa-on-Arrival policy is the fact that the entry of many African investors will advance the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), integration and a unified Africa”.

“The policy hopes to advance the course of tourism development, which will cause a corresponding rise in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)”.

“According to the 2019 Visa Openness Report for Africa, Visa policies are among the most important governmental formalities influencing international tourism and other business concerns,” Babandede said.

He, however, noted that it was sufficed to say that when fully implemented, the country would have joined Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and a few other African countries that offer such incentive to all Africans wishing to visit.

Babandede further maintained the policy has the tendency of propelling corresponding reciprocity from other regional countries with attendant benefits for Nigerian citizenry, whose resilience and hard-working dispositions manifest in their exploration of other climes.

He therefore urged investors coming into the country to take advantage of Visa on Arrival Policy to improve migration; saying the innovation would further improve the transparency and security of NIS operations.

“Visa remains one of the tools deployed by countries to control regular migration, as well as check irregular migration, “he said.

Babandede stressed that such move will boost both economic and political gains of Visa-on-Arrival for genuine investors coming to the country to invest.