Visas on arrival for all Africans visiting Nigeria starting next year – Buhari

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has announced that all African visitors will from January receive visas on arrival.

Speaking in Egypt during the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa, Buhari said:

“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.”

Nigeria is committed to supporting the free movement of Africans within Africa. Yesterday at the Aswan Forum in Egypt I announced that, in January 2020, we will commence issuance of visas at the point of entry into Nigeria, to all persons holding passports of African countries.

— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) December 12, 2019

According to Premium Times, the Nigerian government announced the visa on arrival policy last year but it was for selected categories of people.

Over 2000 such visas were given to potential investors at Nigeria’s main airport in Lagos in July.

“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.

According to Quartz, the change in visa policy by Nigeria comes on backdrop of the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

The treaty seeks to establish a continent-wide marketplace with increased trade and freer movement among its major pillars.

Buhari further emphasized that massive investment in transportation infrastructure is necessary for African economic resurgence.

He said this will facilitate the African Free Trade Area Agreement recently signed by the continent’s 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,” Buhari said