Other Africans travelling to Nigeria will from January 2020 be able to
get their visas at the point of entry.
This was stated by President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday at the Aswan
Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, holding in
Egypt.
“We in Nigeria have already taken the strategic decision to bring down
barriers that have hindered the free movement of our people within the
continent by introducing the issuance of visa at the point of entry
into Nigeria to all persons holding passports of African countries
with effect from January, 2020.”
The Nigerian government last year announced visa on arrival policy for
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.
The government has also been considering new types of visas for applicants.
In his speech at the Egypt event, the Nigerian leader emphasised 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.
President Buhari equally emphasized that massive investment in
transportation infrastructure was necessary for African economic
resurgence as this would facilitate the African Free Trade Area
Agreement recently signed on by the continental leaders.
“Africa should embark on the provision of transport connectivity by
enhancing the development of roads, rail, and air links which will
ease the free movement of persons, goods and services within the
continent. In this regard, we in Nigeria have already commenced an
aggressive drive to upgrade our rail transport system and road
networks across the country.
“We should furthermore promote free trade within and amongst Africa
and Africans especially now that we have launched the African Free
Trade Area Agreement,” he said.
