The Federal Government has announced that going forward, Nigeria will issue visas to foreigners requesting entry into the nation in accordance with the reciprocity principle.It stated that foreigners applying for visas to Nigeria will receive the same treatment as Nigerians abroad.
In order to control the entry and outflow of people and safeguard the safety of the nation, the government has planned to implement more rigorous monitoring measures at the country's borders.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the interior minister, addressed on Thursday at the Business Day Conference, "Funding for Change: Building Bridges for a Resilient Nigeria," with the topic, "Funding for Change: Catalyzing Funding for high impact Social Projects."
The administration is ready to adopt the give-and-take principle in the new approach to issues, according to Tunji-Ojo, who also said that the period in which nations treated Nigerians with contempt when it came to visa granting was past.
Speaking as the keynote speaker, Tunji-Ojo said, "Ministry of Interior potential high impact social projects" is a subject that is very important to him since it discusses vulnerability and the nation's most vulnerable citizens.
The integrity of every government's performance, he continued, must only be judged in light of how it treats the most vulnerable members of society. The purpose of government is to meet the needs of the weak as well as to safeguard the powerful.
"I only discovered that when we arrived, thus. I often remind people that I shoulder the responsibility for my generation as a whole, not just for myself and my family.
"And it's crucial that every young person in government comprehends it. The accomplishments of a young person in politics will only widen the path for others. We will only hear the standard Nigerian proverb after the lack of performance: "You see dem, dem no know anything." When we find ourselves in a position of authority, it is time for us to comprehend.
"My father didn't give me the Nigeria of my dreams, as I have always claimed. Yes, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't offer my kids the Nigeria they've always wanted.
It implies that we must be responsible for making the transition from where we are to where we want to be rather than leaving that duty entirely on the shoulders of the past.
In accordance with the idea of reciprocity, he stated, "The director of the Center for Illegal Migration in Turkey visited my office yesterday (Wednesday). And I warned him to expect reciprocity in travel policies over the course of the following few weeks.
"Any nation that refuses to provide me a visa on arrival is not eligible for a visa on arrival in Nigeria. I apologize, but that is the case. We're not a garbage dump. People will believe you if you claim to be helpful.
However, if you tell people that you are useless, they will explain why. We want to partner with you, thus we need to be partners, equal partners, and our investment relationship needs to be built on the reciprocity concept.
"So, we are doing that to every nation on earth. The committee has been active. You will charge me $100 for a visa, and I will charge you $100 for a Nigerian visa. I will receive the report tomorrow.
"If you grant me an arrival visa. You have it now. You will need to meet the same requirements to enter my country whether you claim that I need an American visa, a Schengen visa, a UK visa, etc. in order to enter your country today. It is not a battle; rather, the topic is one of respect for one another.
The Minister emphasized the need of knowing the entry and outflow of persons from other countries into Nigeria and said that the problem of a porous border has presented major challenges to the country's security system.
He said, "We have a border control issue that is really important. A safe border means a safe country, and a safe country means a safe world. Your military, police, and security services will always be under pressure if you can't control your border.
"Having control over your border reduces security by more than 70%." Insecurity is a concern for any nation that is unable to control, critically evaluate, dictate, or decide who enters and exits the country.
"The Nigerian border is not the longest in the world; it is only 1,047 kilometers long. Only four nations, Cameron, Benin, Niger, and Chad, border us on the land. Just that. Therefore, we don't really have an explanation for why we can't manage the entry and outflow of people. I said it, but we don't have an explanation. I, for one, wasn't chosen by the President to offer justifications. I was chosen to provide solutions.
The Minister clarified border control, saying, "On the subject of border control, I want to beg and say this: There is a need for advocacy. I'd like to speak from the heart rather than the brain. I'll say this. One of our main issues, in my opinion, and I'll ask our house reporters to be a little more inquisitive in this area.
"Most of our border villages are more closely knit than you could possibly imagine in terms of security. Why does that matter? It indicates that certain border communities consider themselves to be in Nigeria but not Nigerians. That poses a serious risk to the country's security.
Why does that signify that? Schools are absent from our border towns. We need essential services like hospitals and amenities. These people send their kids to school in a neighboring nation like Niger. As a result, they have never been able to recite the Nigerian national anthem although they do know it off by heart.
"They are unaware of my vow to Nigeria; all they are aware of is my pledge to another nation. They speak French, not English as a common language. Exams are taken in French rather than English. They therefore have no obligation to show you loyalty. And it is these communities that decide how safe you are. Because in order for you to genuinely be safe, you need those communities' backing and support.
Therefore, in order to be able to offer these essential services in these border towns, the Border Community Development Agency, an organization that is down domiciled under the Ministry of Interior, needs to cooperate extremely closely with the SDGs office.
"You'll gain support. Respect and loyalty are similar. You earn respect and loyalty; you don't demand it. Because you can't get what you don't strive for, we must make an effort to win these people's devotion by offering the necessary infrastructure. Thus, it's crucial.
The Minister bemoaned the way that Nigerians are now issued passports, which requires them to spend the entire day at the immigration office in order to obtain them.
"I see no reason why I need a passport and to forgo a day of work just to have my rights," he declared. Your right is to. By giving you my passport, I'm not doing you a favor. Your right is to. As leaders, we need to begin to see the fundamental distinction between a right and a privilege. Never is it a privilege.
"And for that reason, by December of this year, we had started all of our actions. If you need a passport, you just go online, upload your passport photo, supporting documents, and attestation, and only the biometric portion of your visit to the passport office is required.
"Every governmental action that causes inconvenience cannot be in the people's best interests. People should simply walk to the passport office during breaks, complete their biometrics, and then resume their jobs. You must make things simple.
"By February, you won't need to visit the passport agency again because we'll DHL it to your home instead. It is not particularly complex. This is known as copying and pasting. You pick up your passport at the UK passport office. Because we are Nigerians, we shouldn't always take the difficult route. The idea of responsibility simplicity must be understood. That's what we're attempting to do.
The Minister questioned why the nation should not have all of its citizens' information in a single database while speaking about identity management.
"The ministry's agenda is that we cannot have the proliferation of identity," he declared. We need a single point of contact, or SPC, for our identity management services.
"Why would someone require a new biometric to obtain a passport? Why is biometric testing required to obtain a driver's license? Your social security number is unique to you in the United States. You wouldn't go into a bank and request a different identity number.
According to him, Business Day takes pride in wanting to collaborate with all other partners in the nation to bring about the progress that Nigerians nationwide long for.
According to Ure Utah, the founder of Bridge Synergy, no nation can advance without relationships.
Despite the odds, she said, there is still optimism that infrastructure will drive the country's priorities by alleviating poverty and promoting quality education. She said that Nigeria couldn't meet some SVG funding shortfall estimated at a startling $10 billion annually.
She stated that difficulties with education, energy, agriculture, and security affect more than 60% of Nigerians.
She claimed that despite having 220 million residents, Nigeria, the most populated nation in Africa, still has 70 percent of its people living in poverty.
Dasuki Arabi, director general of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, stated that Nigeria is unquestionably a ray of light on the African continent.
Kashifu Abdullahi, the director general and chief executive officer of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, also spoke and urged funding for the public digital infrastructure.
"Public infrastructure, such as roads, railroads, airports, and so on, are what we are waiting for. transporting items from one location to another. However, in today's digital world, data serves as the equivalent of money. As a result, it's also necessary for us to invest in digital public infrastructure, and this investment should not solely come from corporations.