Nigeria Abolishes Visa-on-Arrival As Visa Restrictions Cast Doubt on AfCFTA’s Integration Principle

In a decision that aligns with a broader tendency of African nations tightening their borders, the Nigerian government has announced its intention to abolish its visa policy on arrival, citing ineffectures and security risks. Instead, visitors will now have to pre-fill landing and exit cards before arriving in the country, a policy that will allow better screening and better migration management.

The decision, announced by the Minister of the Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Friday, February 16, marks an important change in the immigration policy of Nigeria and underlines the departure of the more open approach which was a times defended by African nations under African free trade in continental free trade contract (AFCFTA). AFCFTA, which officially entered into force in 2021, aims to promote the free movement of people and goods through the borders of Africa.

However, the growing trend of countries tightening their visa policies – especially those of Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya – suggests that the dream of a fully integrated African economy can remain elusive.

Tunji-ojo, speaking during the closing ceremony for one week training on the anticipated data information on passengers (API) and the file of passenger name (PNR) in national security and the ‘Application of laws at the headquarters of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Abuja, stressed that the current visa system on arrival was compromised by criminals which use it as a point easy entry into the country.

According to him, the intelligence reports indicate that the criminal elements have exploited escapes in the visa system on arrival, using neighboring countries as entry points in Nigeria through its vast and porous earth edges. He announced that in response, the government extend the API / PNR system to the landing borders, which makes much more difficult for undocumented individuals to enter the country without being detected.

“What the API, PNR gives us is objectivity in decision -making, objective profiling, not subjective profiling. What we had was subjective. The visa system is one of the nuclei, because I always tell people that the visa is not only an approval of the entry, it is a migration management device. This is a security system to manage migration in your country, “he said.

The change of open borders in Africa

Nigeria’s Decision to Cancel the visa-on-arrival Policy follows A Growing Wave of African Nations Tightant Visa Restrictions, A Development that Runs Counter to the Goals of the Afcfta, which seeks to create the World’s Large Free Trade Area by Enabling the Seamless Movement of goods, services and people through the continent.

AFCFTA was designed to unite 54 of the 55 African countries in one market, promoting regional integration, economic growth and intra-African trade. Defenders of the agreement believe that allowing the free movement of businessmen and professionals would improve investment opportunities and create a more competitive African market worth around 3.4 billions of dollars.

However, recent developments suggest that key economies on the continent are not fully engaged in the free aspect of the AFCFTA movement, a situation widely attributed to insecurity. In addition to the repression of the Nigeria visa, countries like Kenya, Ghana and South Africa have all introduced stricter visa measures in the past year, citing security problems and the need for controls stricter migrations.

These policy changes have led to an increase in skepticism as to whether the AFCFTA can never be fully implemented. Many analysts believe that, although economic integration is desirable, insecurity, terrorism and cross -border crime make the free movement of people a politically sensitive problem that governments are not increasingly reluctant to kiss.

Safety presentations Economic integration

The Nigerian Minister of the Interior justified the decision by showing the need for objective control of migration, arguing that the existing visa system was too subjective and vulnerable to abuse.

He also criticized the role of Nigerian foreign attachés in visa approvals, declaring that visa decisions should no longer be left in discretion but should be fully automated and subject to rigorous screening.

“We do not want foreign attachés to approve and deliver visas. It won’t be that. We want to project people more. Nigeria is not a safe refuge for criminals and will never be, “he added.

Security problems, in particular concerning terrorism, trafficking in human beings and economic sabotage, were at the center of the Nigeria decision. The government argues that criminal networks have taken advantage of the policies of indulgent visa, allowing the sought -after persons to enter Nigeria under false pretexts.

The tightening of immigration controls should be implemented between March 1 and April 1, 2024 and will include measures such as compulsory landing and pre-filled exit cards, the integration of visa treatment with the Global security databases and real -time monitoring of the Nationals Nationals.

“The E-visa solution will be integrated into Interpol, criminal record systems and other history verification agencies, so we can make more informed decisions,” said Tunji-Ojo.

The future of AFCFTA and free movement in Africa

AFCFTA has been announced as a transformative economic agreement that could reshape trade on the continent by eliminating obstacles, harmonizing regulations and encouraging intra-African activities. However, his ambitious vision is based on the ability of African nations to trust and open their borders for the free movement of professionals, entrepreneurs and workers.

The recent wave of stricter visa policies – led by the largest economies on the continent – raises fears that the AFCFT will never be fully achieved. Many African governments fear that without appropriate security measures, open borders can exacerbate existing challenges such as illegal migration, terrorism and cross -border crime.

Security experts argue that, although free movement is a noble objective, it cannot be hierarchical in relation to national security problems. Given instability in regions such as the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes, some governments think that the authorization of without restrictions could facilitate criminal networks, insurgents and traffickers to operate in -the borders.

There are also economic concerns stimulating the decision to tighten visa policies. Some African countries fear that free movement can lead to an influx of economic migrants from poorer regions, exerting pressure on local labor markets and public resources.

The decision of Nigeria and other African nations to reverse or tighten their visa policies is largely considered a setback for regional integration efforts. Although commercial barriers are lifted under the AFCFTA, the restrictions on the movement suggest that the real economic unit remains a distant objective.

Economists have noted that the challenge facing African leaders is now how to balance national security with the vision of an integrated African market. If important economies like Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa continue to prioritize borders on the free agenda of the AFCFTA, this raises fundamental questions about the future of the agreement.