On 4th February 2020, the Federal Government of Nigeria launched
a new Nigeria Visa Policy 2020 ("NVP" or the
"Policy"). President Muhammadu Buhari stated that
"the Policy is expected to attract innovation, specialised
skills and knowledge from abroad to complement locally available
ones". Essentially, the NVP was formulated to help Nigeria
become a globally competitive economy and to boost tourism. The
Policy provides a platform to achieve African integration without
comprising national security.
The Policy has introduced novel categories and classes of visas.
One of the marquee provisions of this Policy is that it allows for
the issuance of visas at entry points for certain categories of
persons (such as businesspersons and tourists). This will surely
make it easier for such people to visit the country at short
notice.
