‘It doesn’t work’ — Tunji-Ojo says FG will stop visa on arrival, introduce landing and exit cards

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, says there are plans by the federal government to cancel the visa-on-arrival policy.

Tunji-Ojo spoke in Abuja on Friday during the closing ceremony of a weeklong capacity-building training for personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

The training was on advanced passenger information/passenger name record (API/PNR) data in national security and law enforcement.

The visa-on-arrival policy was unveiled in 2020 as a short-stay visa issued at the point of entry.

Tunji-Ojo said in place of the policy, the federal government would introduce landing and exit cards, which prospective visitors will pre-fill before coming into the country.

He said there is a need to harmonise the immigration data centre and have integrated solutions for decisions that border on migration into Nigeria.

He said such harmonisation would make it impossible for approvals to be given without the clearance of Interpol, the criminal records system, and all background-checking agencies in real-time.

“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.”

Tunji-Ojo said travellers must fill out the landing card, which would be integrated with the visa solution, the passport solution, and all background checking systems across the world before a visitor comes into the country.

He said the ministry would be able to share the data with other agencies and across the world to sanitise the process.

“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.”