The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to cancel Nigeria’s visa-on-arrival policy, replacing it with a more structured immigration system requiring visitors to pre-fill landing and exit cards before arriving in the country.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the announcement on Friday, February 21, 2025, during the closing ceremony of a capacity-building training for Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) personnel. He emphasized the need to strengthen immigration control and enhance security measures.
Tunji-Ojo criticized the visa-on-arrival system, stating that it does not provide adequate oversight of individuals entering the country. “I don’t expect you to just come into my country without me knowing that you are coming. No, it is never done anywhere,” he said.
To improve immigration management, the government will digitize the landing and exit card system, replacing the current manual process with a technology-driven approach. The minister underscored the importance of integrating immigration data with law enforcement agencies such as Interpol and Nigeria’s criminal records system to prevent security threats.
“Security is not a sector where you can afford to be 99.9 percent correct. You just have to be 100 percent,” he added.
The visa-on-arrival policy was introduced in 2020 under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to facilitate short-stay visits. However, the current administration believes a stricter and more structured immigration framework is necessary to enhance national security.
