Business Regulations, Law & Practice | |
Business Regulations, Law & Practice | |
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Friday,
January 31, 2020 / 02.00PM / Ottoabasi Abasiekong for WebTV / Header Image Credit: Independent Newspaper
The proposed Visa Policy 2020 developed by the Nigeria Immigration
Service (NIS) will reposition Nigeria as a leading global investment
destination when the President approves it.
Comptroller, Services Desk Headquarters, NIS, Mr. Kunle Osisoya revealed
this at the January 2020 breakfast meeting of the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber
of Commerce which discussed the operations of the Immigration Service and its
outlook for 2020 and beyond.
Mr. Osisoya, who represented the Comptroller General Mr. Muhammed
Babandede, MFR, said the Visa Policy 2020 by framework keys into
Nigeria's economic development as a nation.
He said the focus was to put Nigeria on the pedestal of becoming a major
tourism and aviation hub globally.
According to him, the new visa policy is an improvement on the 2012
version and will increase the classes of visa from 6 to 79 in the country.
From his presentation, Mr. Osisoya informed stakeholders that the visa
classes covered areas like short visit visas, social visits, short temporary
visas, permanent resident visa, visa for investors and visa for immigrants who
have worked in Nigeria for over 20 years and have retired.
On the Visa-On-Arrival policy, Osisanya noted that it rolled out for
citizens of the African Union member states, to promote trade and integration
in Africa.
Osisanya believed the Visa-On-Arrival policy would create business
opportunities for Nigerians from the Tourism to Aviation sectors.
He highlighted the following as the rationale for the Visa policy 2020
initiative;
Speaking further, Osisanya said 63,251 visas were processed in 2019 on
arrival by the Nigerian Immigration Service, compared to the 30,664 issued in
2018.
On the prospects ahead for the NIS Osisanya outlined the following
strategies;
Giving his perspective on the Visa Policy 2020, the Chairman of the
NSACC, Mr. Foluso Phillips, lauded the initiative describing it as a strategy
that will encourage businesses and attract investors into the country.
He believed the ongoing reforms at the NIS under the Comptroller General
Mr. Muhammed Babandede, MFR, was remarkable and called on President Muhammadu
Buhari to approve the Draft Visa Policy 2020 proposal.
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