Nigerians denied visa-on-arrival, e-visa to Turkey, Ethiopia, UAE
Turkey, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have stripped Nigerian passport holders of previous privileges they enjoyed, including visa-on-arrival, e-visa and outright passport issues.
Turkey no longer allows Nigerian passport holders to obtain its e-visa, which used to be a seamless process enjoyed by Nigerians in the past.
In 2022, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) banned nationals of Nigeria and a few other African countries from entering its capital city, Dubai but notwithstanding several interventions of the Nigerian government, the visa ban isstill yet to be lifted.
Festus Keyamo, aviation minister had said UAE will lift its ban on Nigerians in October.
And similarly, Ethiopia stopped issuing visa-on-arrival to Nigerians two years ago and has refused to reverse it till date.
Airlines have, since 2022, issued circulars to passengers advising that they obtain their visas at the Ethiopian embassy in Abuja before travelling.
lamented that her parents were denied visas because of the fear they would not return.
Bolanle Olukanni, daughter of Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni, former Nigerian Commissioner to Australia between 2011 and 2015, recently shared her frustration with having a Nigerian passport via her X handle on Monday, said her father, who was a retired ambassador and lived in Austria for three years, was denied a visa alongside her mum over fear of absconding.
She wrote, “I just want you guys to know that the Nigeria passport has really been bastardized. My father is a retired Ambassador who lived and served in Austria for three years.
“He applied for a Schengen visa alongside my mum, and the Austrian embassy denied their visas.”
“Do you realise the lack of diplomacy and courtesy and disregard for a country you have to deny a former foreign service officer a visa? A Foreign Service officer who served for 30 years and has been to over 30 countries.”
Applications for visas to South Africa have since reduced as Nigerians continue to experience delays and denials to South Africa.
According to South Africa’s visa office, the department issued a total of 7,466 nonimmigrant (F-1) visas, down from 7,547 in 2022.
Oritseweyinmi Oritsejafor, a client advisor at Henley & Partners, one of the global leaders in residence and citizenship planning, stated recently that with the country’s passport granting access to just 45 destinations visa-free, Nigerian passport holders can only travel visa-free to a fraction of global GDP — just 1.5 percent.
Nigeria took bottom spot as country with one of 20 worst passports to hold in 2023 with visa-free access to only 46 countries.
