Onyekachi Eze 
The Federal Government has called for a more liberal visa regime for Nigerian companies seeking to establish factories and businesses in foreign countries.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, at a meeting with the executive members of the Nigerian community in Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the 38th ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government, stated that as Nigeria continues to provide an enabling environment for foreign companies to invest and operate within its borders, it is only fair and mutually beneficial for other nations to extend similar support to Nigerian businesses looking to expand internationally.
The minister in a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Rabiu Ibrahim, noted that while about 50 big Indonesian companies are operating in Nigeria, Nigeria does not have up to five Nigerian companies operating in Indonesia.
“If they want to come to our country to trade because of our population and ability to purchase their goods and services, then there should also be that reciprocal arrangement where Nigerians are also given the rightful place; and the visa issue is the same problem you find in Ethiopia and Indonesia.
“It becomes very complex for people to give Nigerians visas,” the minister regretted. According to him, visa policies among nations are typically based on the principle of reciprocity.
He assured Nigerian community that the issue of the Ethiopian government’s cancellation of the e-visa and Visa-on-Arrival options for Nigerian travelers would be escalated to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for appropriate diplomatic engagement.
Alhaji Idris noted that governments often implement visa regulations in response to the policies extended to their citizens, highlighting the need for balanced and mutually beneficial agreements in international travel and diplomacy.
“Every relationship with other countries is reciprocal. So if we give them visa-on-arrival, there is no reason why they should not give us visa-on-arrival,” he said.
He urged Nigerians living abroad to consistently demonstrate good conduct and responsible citizenship in order to promote the image of the country to the outside world.
“We don’t allow bad people to represent us and that is where you come in. You are the ones who are here and if you don’t represent us well, there is no way we will look good.
“The visit of the President to Ethiopia from time to time or the visit of any minister here cannot do it. It is those who are here and living with them that can change whatever perception they have about our country,” the minister stated.
Idris, who reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling security challenges head-on, disclosed that in 2024 alone, security forces neutralised 8,000 terrorists and bandits, rescued 8,000 kidnapped victims, and recorded 11,600 arrests.
President of the Nigerian community in Ethiopia, Mr. Muideen Alimi, called on the Nigerian government to support the actualisation of the plan to set up the African Central Bank as well as have a strong presence in the African Remittance Agency.
