The Consul General of Italy in Nigeria, Ugo Boni, has revealed that over 10,000 visas were granted to Nigerians in 2023 for travel to various parts of Italy. Boni made this known during the recent launch of Neos Airline’s direct flight operations between Nigeria and Italy.
Addressing concerns about visa application delays, Boni emphasized that his mission was to ease the process of travel for Nigerians. “My job here is not to hinder Nigerians from traveling to Italy but to make it easier for them,” he stated. The Italian embassy, he said, is working diligently to streamline the visa process, aiming for a two-week processing time from the day of application.
Boni also expressed enthusiasm for the new direct flights between the two countries, describing it as a significant development in Nigeria-Italy relations. “This is long overdue, and I hope we can increase the frequency of flights from one to three per week very soon,” he added.
Neos Airline, which is set to commence direct flights from Italy to Lagos starting October 30, will begin with weekly flights, increasing to three times per week in the second month. Sifax Sahco Travels will act as the official travel agent for the airline’s operations in Nigeria.
