The Federal Government has officially terminated the Visa-on-Arrival policy, declaring that Nigeria will no longer be a destination for criminals.
Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, revealed the decision, explaining that the policy had proven ineffective.
He further highlighted that authorities had observed a growing trend where travelers bypassed direct flights into Nigeria, instead landing in neighboring countries before completing their journey by land across borders.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the announcement at the conclusion of a weeklong capacity-building training for Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) personnel.
This training is part of the NIS’s efforts to enhance its ability to document all individuals entering the country.
The Visa-on-Arrival policy, initially introduced by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2020, allowed for short-stay visas to be issued upon arrival at the point of entry.
He said: “The Visa-on-Arrival issue is one of the core policy issues because I always tell people the visa is not just an approval of entry, it is a migration management device.
“It is a security device to manage migration into your country. So the way it is at the moment is very subjective. We are not really too objective and that is why we are automating the whole process end-to-end.
“And the e-visa solution, we are working hard to be able to meet the first of March or peradventure if we are unable, the first of April, we will hit it live.
“We will automate the system. People apply online and we will do what we need to do. That solution will be integrated with the Interpol system, the criminal records system, so that we can be able to take decisions.
“We do not want foreign attachés approving and issuing visas. It is not going to be that any more, we want to be able to screen people. This country cannot be a destination for wanted criminals in the world. Nigeria is not a safe haven for any criminal and it will never be.
“Security is not a sector where you can afford to be 99.9 percent correct. You just have to be 100 percent. We believe that it is better for us to take decisions based on objectivity rather than subjectivity.
“And of course, that will lead to the cancellation of the visa-on-arrival process because the visa-on-arrival we understand is not a system that works, because I don’t expect you to just come into my country without me knowing that you are coming into my country.
“No, it is never done anywhere, and of course, we are also introducing what we call the landing and exit card.
“We do it now, but it is manual. We are not going to be doing that anymore. This is 2025. This is not 1825. So, technology must take its place.”
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