Murtala Muhammed International Airport ( MMIA) Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service ( NIS) last year issued no fewer than 53,644 Visas on arrival ( VOA) to individuals and organisations of high net worth value.
This is just as the Acting Controller General of Immigration ( CGI), Mrs. Carol Wura-Ola Adepoju
has declared that one of their primary goals is to Institute a Business Trust visa in collaboration with security agencies to ensure potential foreign investors meet with the right people.
CG Adepoju made these known during her first official assignment as Acting Comptroller General at the official commissioning of Visa on Arrival Lounge at the MMIA, which has received a facelift through a CSR initiative of the Command and the Service partner, Newworks Solutions.
While speaking, Mrs. Adepoju stressed that the Business Trust Visa would provide confidence to investors who want to come to the country by providing background checks on whom they want to do business with.
She stated that the VOA was not only an integral tool for removing bureaucracy affecting the facilitation of foreign direct investment ( FDI) but an earner for economic growth and development.
Further on the Business Trust visa she said,” So many people in different parts of the world want to invest but do not know who they are going to meet. With DSS collaboration we can guarantee whoever the foreigners want to partner with, so they will get into the wrong hands”.
According to her, the ambiance around the new Visa on Arrival ( VOA) facility at the Terminal One of the MMIA stating that as the first vista to glimpse the country, a better ambiance would send the right message to passengers and mainly investors.
She said, “The VOA facility simplifies the bureaucratic processes associated with obtaining a business visa, which in turn increases the number of foreign investors who are willing to visit and invest. The improved user experience also increases the appeal of the country as an investment destination encouraging more foreign direct investment.
“Our records reveal that, in the year 2022, a total number of VOA issued at MMIA was fifty-five thousand, six hundred and forty-four (55, 644). You will agree with me that this number is significant economically, if we consider that they are high-net-worth Individuals (HNWI).
“The renovation and expansion of the VOA lounges speak to the commitment of the Service and the Nation to welcoming High Business Network Investors willing to come for business purposes. Lagos being a centre of excellence requires a befitting reception for this calibre of investors.
“By providing travellers with the convenience of having their visa processed in a comfortable space and in a timely manner upon arrival, the NIS is showing its commitment to ease of doing business and hostmanship, the art of making people welcome, which has become our brand signature
Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘A’ headquarters, K. A Sadiq, pcc in his submission at the event expressed gratitude to all NIS stakeholders stressing that their presence signifies support for the Service and highlights the importance of the VOA Lounge in MMIA.
He said,”The expansion and facelift was necessitated in further compliance with the Executive Order of the FG on Ease of Doing Business by providing a conducive atmosphere for visa issuance to prospective investors with the creation of a long lasting impression in their minds.
