Finglow Travels, a prominent travel consolidator, has urged the Nigerian federal government to ease the country’s visa-rules-stopping-care-visa-and-increasing-salary-for-threshold-for-skilled-workers/” title=”UK Government Tightens Visa Rules: Care Visa Abolished & Skilled Worker Salary Threshold Raised”>visa policies, emphasizing that such reforms would significantly enhance air travel, boost tourism, and stimulate broader economic development.
Abiola Bakare, the company’s Business-to-Business Development Manager, shared these insights in a conversation with LEADERSHIP ahead of the upcoming Partner Plus Connect (PPC) event set for September 26 in Port Harcourt.
Bakare highlighted that the PPC event aims to foster direct, face-to-face interactions with trade partners, noting that in-person engagement offers a richer experience compared to virtual meetings.
On the topic of visa liberalization, Bakare encouraged Nigeria to follow the lead of several African nations such as Rwanda, Kenya, and Ghana, which have adopted more flexible visa policies to great effect.
He pointed out that easing visa restrictions would directly increase airline passenger loads and invigorate Nigeria’s tourism sector.
Bakare proposed that the government initiate visa relaxation starting with African countries, stressing the positive ripple effects this would have on the nation’s economy.
“Opening up visa policies will drive more visitors to Nigeria. Ghana has successfully implemented this approach, Kenya has recently followed suit, and Rwanda’s experience shows substantial benefits,” he explained.
“Such a policy shift would not only improve airline occupancy rates but also attract tourists and business travelers alike. Presently, Nigeria offers a visa-on-arrival system that has been modernized with online pre-processing requirements. However, travelers must still secure their visas before departure.
“It would be prudent for the Nigerian government to consider fully relaxing visa-on-arrival protocols, at least for African nations initially, as this would boost travel volumes and facilitate trade,” Bakare added.
He further linked this recommendation to the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), underscoring the importance of seamless cross-border movement to economic integration.
“Facilitating easier travel aligns perfectly with AfCFTA’s vision, enabling freer movement across countries, which in turn benefits the entire economy,” he noted.
Bakare also emphasized that visa relaxation would expose visitors to Nigeria’s vast economic and tourism opportunities.
“Kenya’s model is instructive. Tourists there contribute to the economy by shopping, dining, staying at resorts, and paying consumption taxes like VAT. Local service providers, from taxi drivers to hoteliers, all gain from increased visitor numbers. This creates a thriving ecosystem supported by a liberal travel policy,” he said.
He reassured that easing visa restrictions does not equate to open borders without security, as necessary checks would remain in place to monitor entry and exit.
Regarding the PPC event, Bakare described it as a platform to demonstrate Finglow Travels’ commitment and value to their business partners, showcasing their bold and dependable approach to collaboration.
