Nigeria to launch e-visa, digital card

Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, says the federal government will launch an e-visa system and digital landing/exit cards to enhance national security.

He disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja when he received a delegation led by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

According to Mr Keyamo, the e-visa system will enable applicants to submit visa requests online and upload required documents electronically.

He added that the manual landing and exit cards would be digitalised, requiring visitors to pre-fill their information before travelling to Nigeria.

“What we are doing here today reflects this government’s commitment to cooperation between ministries with overlapping mandates.

“Today is another example of inter-ministerial collaboration. This specifically concerns the introduction of the e-visa system,” he said.

He said further details would be given by Mr Tunji-Ojo, and that relevant agencies such as Immigration, NCAA, and FAAN would fully support the initiative.

Mr Keyamo emphasised that there was no objection to the programme, which primarily falls under the Interior Ministry.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior stated the automation system will commence on 1 May.

He noted that the e-visa application will be free and is designed to simplify entry into Nigeria while boosting national security.

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Mr Tunji-Ojo explained the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will manage landing and exit cards, which travellers must complete online before boarding.

“Coordinating and issuing regulations to airlines is naturally the NCAA’s responsibility,” Mr Tunji-Ojo said.

He revealed a central visa approval centre already exists at Immigration headquarters, with trained officers and integrated global criminal record checks.

“Better background checks will be conducted for travellers entering Nigeria. We aim to eliminate bottlenecks and ensure a transparent visa process.

“Our goal is to open Nigeria’s borders without compromising security. Both Interior and Aviation ministries have critical roles in this,” he said.

(NAN)