Presidency has debunked what it described as “misinformation and fake news circulating online”, claiming that President Bola Tinubu stopped the insurance of 5-Year visa for citizens of the United States of America
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement debunking the claims on Thursday , said the President “has never stopped issuing 5-year multiple-entry visas for US citizens, in accordance with the principle of subsisting bilateral agreements and reciprocity.
Presidency noted that immediately after assuming office, President Tinubu’s administration issued a service-wide directive that Nigeria implement all bilateral agreements with other nations and adhere to the principle of reciprocity in diplomatic relations.
This is coming on the backdrop of moves by some countries, including the United States as well as the United Arab Emirates UAE, decision to impose visa restrictions on Nigerians.
Onanuga disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clearly stated the position of the Federal Government of Nigeria on the recent adjustment made by the United States’ non-immigrant visa policy for Nigerians.
He assured that the Ministry and other senior government officials will continue to engage with the United States to address the unfavourable restrictions in a just and fair manner that reflects the mutual respect and partnership that so exist between our two friendly nations.
“We want to reiterate that the US government’s claim of reciprocity as the reason for its current visa policy towards Nigeria does not accurately reflect the actual situation.
He said the Nigerian government has not deviated from granting US citizens a 5-year multiple-entry non-immigrant visa, just as the US has continued to grant the same to Nigerians.
“The 90-day single-entry Visa validity period only applies to the newly introduced e-Visas, a short-term visa category for tourists and business people who may not wish to undergo the standard visa application process and wait.
The statement explained that the “e-visa replaces the now obsolete Visa-on-arrival, which was inefficient and often used as a means of extortion. The e-visa is a fast, online process that does not require the applicant to go to the embassy. Applicants receive the e-Visa within 48 hours of submitting their application.
“The e-visa policy aligns with President Tinubu’s efforts to boost investment, trade, and tourism in the country, as well as promote the ease of doing business for non-nationals. Moreover, e-visas are a widely adopted global policy in dozens of countries.”
The Presidential Spokesman stated that ” although, Nigeria has an e-visa policy for citizens of the US and several other countries, the US has not reciprocated this gesture for Nigerians.
The Nigeria government again assured that Iit will continue to engage with other governments l, including the US authorities to resolve all issues.
“In the spirit of cooperation, mutual understanding, and partnership that have characterised the relationship between Nigeria and the United States over the decades, the Tinubu-led administration will continue to dialogue and engage with US authorities to resolve any issues that have led to the recent developments.”:
