Judge advises NIS to make visa-on-arrival scheme available

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State, has advised the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to introduce the visa-on-arrival scheme at all entry points into the country.

The Judge stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the inaugural 2022 Immigration Law and Policy conference with the theme, “Contemporary Issues in the Immigration Milieu in Nigeria.”

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the conference, organised by the Nigerian Immigration Lawyers Association (NILA), brought together lawyers, judges, academics, policy makers and other stakeholders to discuss how the extant legal and policy regime on Immigration will aid the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

The move, according to him, will contribute positively to the Nigerian economy the way it has done for Kenya, Turkey and Mauritius.

He observed that the e-visa and visa-on-arrival prorammes appeared to have been suspended or stopped at some airports, stressing that if it needs to be continued and sustained.

He lauded the various initiatives meant to improve national security and facilitate the ease of doing business.

He added that copying certain practices from other jurisdictions, including the flexible visa regime, must be fine-tuned and adapted to the peculiarities of the country.

“Recent inquiries have shown that visa-on-arrival programme has stopped, either permanently or temporarily, at least in some airports and at some national borders.

“I will like to use this opportunity offered me by this platform to urge the Federal Government, particularly the NIS, to have a rethink about this to make it available at all entry points into Nigeria.

“This will contribute positively to the Nigerian economy, the way it has done for countries such as Kenya, Turkey, and Mauritius,” he said.