The Nigerian government is planning to stop the visa-on-arrival policy and replace it with landing and exit cards.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this announcement in Abuja during a training event for Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) personnel.
The visa-on-arrival policy, introduced in 2020, allows short-term visitors to get a visa at the airport.
However, the government believes the policy is not working well. Instead, they want visitors to fill out landing and exit cards before traveling to Nigeria.
These cards will be linked to an improved immigration data system. This system will check visitors’ backgrounds using Interpol, criminal records, and other security databases before they enter the country. The goal is to improve security and make travel processes more organized.
“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,” the minister said.
“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.”
The new system will also allow Nigeria to share immigration data with other countries, making the process more transparent and secure.
“A scenario where it is difficult for NIS, on the tip of a finger, to tell me the number of foreigners who are entering Nigeria is unacceptable,” he said.
“A scenario where somebody comes into Nigeria, disappears, and becomes untraceable is unacceptable. A scenario where there is abuse of immigration policies and processes is unacceptable.
“A scenario where somebody needs to come to Nigeria, stay for six months, and wait to regularise their residency in Nigeria is unacceptable. It is not done anywhere in the world.
“So, we are going to bring these massive reforms, and these reforms start between March 1 and April 1.
“Why we are trying to do these is to be able to safeguard our people. It’s for us to be responsible in the comity of nations and for us to be able to contribute our fair quota to international peace.”
