Nigeria has relaxed its immigration regulations in a new visa policy unveiled by the president, interior minister and other top technocrats at the presidency in Abuja.
The enhanced visa policy by Nigeria, one of Africa’s key economies, came on the back of the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), a treaty seeking to establish a continent-wide marketplace with increased trade and freer movement among its major economic powers.
The move primarily seeks to attract foreign investors as well as to boost trade in Africa’s biggest economy and most populous nation.
The new directives provide for a visa on arrival for citizens of African Union member countries, while visitors interested in tourism and entertainment should benefit from the new electronic visa.
“This new Visa Policy will advance our goal of building a globally competitive economy, by helping attract Innovation, and specialized skills and knowledge from abroad, to complement locally available ones. We are sending a message to the world that Nigeria is Open for Business,” President Buhari said in a tweet.
