The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is making moves to bring Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) into Nigeria via the introduction of a new visa called the Trust Visa. This was revealed by the Ag. Comptroller General (CG) of the NIS, Mrs. Carol Wura-Ola Adepoju at the unveiling of the refurbished visa-on-arrival (VOA) lounge at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos recently.
According to the NIS boss, the Trust Visa is a means by which foreign investors can now ascertain the authenticity and legitimacy of their prospective business partners based in Nigeria. To achieve this, the NIS plans to focus on collaboration :
“We intend to partner with the DSS and other security outfits in Nigeria to compile comprehensive security reports on Nigerian business owners in the country. Once a foreign investor obtains their Trust Visa, the NIS will then resort to the dossier of the investor’s prospective business partner, and be better equipped to advise them in case there are any security risks involved”, she said.
The Ag. CG went on to say that the idea of a Trust Visa has become necessary owing predominantly to the prevalence of cyber crime. In her own words: “There are a lot of fictitious business offers available online. Investors are concerned about the risk of falling into the wrong hands. For this reason, the NIS will begin profiling Nigerian businesses that are open to foreign investments, to ensure that they have a clean record”, she noted.
APG used the occasion to also showcase the APG Platform which is an NDC Ticketing Platform assisting travel agents to generate additional revenue by enlarging their catalogue and by selling air and non air ancillaries combined.
Speaking about the newly revamped VOA facility at MMIA, Mrs. Adepoju said, “Our records reveal that in the year 2022, the total number of VOAs issued at MMIA was 55,644. You will agree with me that looking at the economics, this figure is significant, especially considering that the VOA awardees were all considered high net worth individuals. As such, the renovation and expansion of the VOA lounge testifies to the commitment of the NIS and the nation to welcoming high level business investors into the country. These need a befitting reception when they arrive Lagos, the Centre for Excellence”, she said.
On his part, Mr. Kayode Sadiq, Zonal Coordinator of Zone A Headquarters – Lagos said the remodeling of the VOA lounge is in tandem with the Federal Government’s Executive Order on ensuring that there is ease of doing business in Nigeria, and it is a step in the right direction to create a positive and lasting impression on potential investors coming into the country.
