Dare Babalola
The Presidency has stated that claims that President Bola Tinubu stopped the issuing of 5-year multiple-entry visas for US citizens is false.
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Thursday, Tinubu implement all bilateral agreements with other nations after he assumed office in 2023.
“Contrary to misinformation and fake news circulating online, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has never stopped issuing 5-year multiple-entry visas for US citizens, in accordance with the principle of subsisting bilateral agreements and reciprocity.
“Immediately after assuming office, President Tinubu’s administration issued a service-wide directive that Nigeria implement all bilateral agreements with other nations and adhere to the principle of reciprocity in diplomatic relations,” Onanuga said.
He also added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other senior government officials will continue to engage with the United States to reconsider the recent decision made by President Donald Trump.
The presidential image maker added that the rumours of retaliation by the US does not accurately reflect the actual situation.
He said, “The Nigerian government has not deviated from granting US citizens a 5-year multiple-entry non-immigrant visa, just as the US has continued to grant the same to Nigerians.
“The 90-day single-entry Visa validity period only applies to the newly introduced e-Visas, a short-term visa category for tourists and business people who may not wish to undergo the standard visa application process and wait. The e-visa replaces the now obsolete Visa-on-arrival, which was inefficient and often used as a means of extortion. The e-visa is a fast, online process that does not require the applicant to go to the embassy. Applicants receive the e-Visa within 48 hours of submitting their application.
“The e-visa policy aligns with President Tinubu’s efforts to boost investment, trade, and tourism in the country, as well as promote the ease of doing business for non-nationals. Moreover, e-visas are a widely adopted global policy in dozens of countries.
“Although Nigeria has an e-visa policy for citizens of the US and several other countries, the US has not reciprocated this gesture for Nigerians.”
In addition, Onanuga said the Tinubu-led administration will continue to dialogue and engage with US authorities to resolve any issues that have led to the recent developments.
Recall that US government on Wednesday announced that most Nigerians applying for non-immigrant visas will now only get single-entry three-month visas.
The embassy described the new policy as part of its global visa reciprocity process, which addresses the treatment American citizens receive in other countries.
