Canada
Canada to ease stringent visa conditions for Nigerians
The Canadian government has promised to review some of its visa procedures in order to make it simpler for Nigerians to travel to Canada.
This is in response to the Federal Government’s request, made through Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola, that Canada’s government relax the strict requirements that restrict Nigerians from applying for its visa.
The guarantee was offered by the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, James Christoff, during a courtesy visit to Aregbesola on Wednesday in Abuja, according to a statement from the Federal Ministry of Interior’s deputy director for press and public relations, Afonja Ajibola.
According to Christoff, the purpose of his visit to the minister was to discuss the possibility of bilateral collaboration between Nigeria and the United States in the areas of economy, security, technology, education, and the training of Immigration Service employees.
According to the high commissioner, effective border monitoring would result from training for immigration staff, which would also improve security in Nigeria.
In his conversation with the high commissioner, Aregbesola asserted that relaxing visa requirements would encourage investment and hasten economic progress in both nations.
The minister also urged the Canadian government to provide new technologies to Nigeria in order to make it easier to monitor the country’s borders, high seas, land, railroads, and schools. He added that these technologies would also make it easier to respond quickly to security concerns and encourage investment in Nigeria.
Dr. Shuaib Belgore, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, said that improving Canada’s and Nigeria’s relationship and cooperation will advance development in both countries, notably in the area of security.
In the past, the Federal Government had complained that the Canadian government improperly denied visas to many Nigerians, including students.
At a gathering in 2020, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada expressed his optimism that the problem would be addressed in the draft bilateral agreement that both nations were working on, leading to better treatment of Nigerians in that area.
At a gathering in 2020, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada expressed his optimism that the matter will be handled in the draft bilateral agreement that both nations were negotiating.
