Visa-free or Visa-on-arrival? – by Frank Ofili

I am beginning to discern some misinformation with regards to the recent visa-on-arrival policy approved by President Muhammadu Buhari for Africans visiting Nigeria.

Some people have cleverly and disingenuously twisted it to mean that Mr. President has approved visa-free to all Africans visiting Nigeria. This is far from true.

Now, here is the truth. What Buhari approved is visa-on-arrival. It is not visa-free for Africans visiting Nigeria.

Let me repeat, what President Buhari approved is not visa-free but visa-on-arrival. Which means that if at the point of entry any African is found ineligible to enter Nigeria, they would be turned back pronto. Such African would not be allowed entry into Nigeria. So get it right.

It might interest us to know that some African countries (e.g. Kenya) are already operating visa-on-arrival policy.

There is no country anywhere in the world that operates visa-free policy.

Some countries however operate visa-free or visa waiver policy to some select countries of choice for some reasons bothering on common heritage, cultural relationship, diplomatic relationship, foreign policy objective, economic/political interest or in compliance with regional or sub-regional economic bloc policy.

For instance, the United States of America operates visa-free policy for these countries under visa waiver program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark etc.

Similarly, Nigeria operates visa-free/visa waiver for these countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, and Togo

So, what is the noise about? Why do we easily condemn without so much as seeking preliminary information?