In recent developments, several countries have restricted or removed certain visa privileges previously enjoyed by Nigerian passport holders. Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Turkey have all made changes to their visa policies that impact Nigerians seeking entry into these nations.
Ethiopia stopped offering visa-on-arrival to Nigerians two years ago and has yet to reverse this decision. Additionally, Turkey no longer allows Nigerian passport holders to obtain its e-visa, which was previously a simple and efficient process. In 2022, the UAE implemented a ban on Nigerian nationals, along with those from other African countries, preventing them from entering the city of Dubai.
BUSINESS DAY
Bolanle Olukanni, daughter of Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni, former Nigerian Commissioner to Australia between 2011 and 2015, recently lamented that her parents were denied visas because of the fear they would not return.
Olukanni, who shared her frustration with having a Nigerian passport via her X handle on Monday, said her father, who was a retired ambassador and lived in Austria for three years, was denied a visa alongside his mum over fear of absconding.
She wrote, “I just want you guys to know that the Nigeria passport has really been bastardized. My father is a retired Ambassador who lived and served in Austria for three years.
“He applied for a Schengen visa alongside my mum, and the Austrian embassy denied their visas.”
She also lamented that 30 years of her father’s service to the country as a foreign service officer was disrespected.
“Do you realise the lack of diplomacy and courtesy and disregard for a country you have to deny a former foreign service officer a visa? A Foreign Service officer who served for 30 years and has been to over 30 countries.”
Applications for visas to South Africa have since reduced as Nigerians continue to experience delays and denials to Africa’s strongest economy.
The number of study visas issued to Nigerians last year dropped for the first time in three years, data compiled by BusinessDay from the US Department of State shows.
According to South Africa’s visa office, the department issued a total of 7,466 nonimmigrant (F-1) visas, down from 7,547 in 2022.
Oritseweyinmi Oritsejafor, a client advisor at Henley & Partners, one of the global leaders in residence and citizenship planning, in a recent interview with BusinessDay, said despite being one of Africa’s economic powerhouses and the continent’s third-wealthiest country as revealed by the Africa Wealth Report 2024, Nigeria provides a clear example of the hindered mobility spectrum of African citizens.
Oritsejafor stated that with the country’s passport granting access to just 45 destinations visa-free, Nigerian passport holders can only travel visa-free to a fraction of global GDP — just 1.5 percent.
She stated that what this means is that among the 8,200 millionaires who reside in the country, those who only have Nigerian passports are forced to navigate cumbersome foreign policy hurdles to tap into the remaining 98.5 percent of the world’s economic prowess, highlighting the necessity for bolstered passport power.
