“Every Application Has Been Considered”: Turkey Finally Addresses Visa Ban on Nigerians
- The Nigerian Embassy of Turkey affirmed that Nigerian passport holders are not prohibited from obtaining visas
- This came following reports suggesting the country may have revoked certain privileges for Nigerian passport holders
- It stressed that Nigerian passport holders are no longer able to easily obtain an e-visa from Turkey
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over 3-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
The Turkish Embassy in Nigeria has refuted rumors that have caused worry to many.
The embassy in a recent reaction confirmed that Nigerian passport holders are not prohibited from obtaining visas.
Source: Getty Images
This came after reports that Ethiopia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates had revoked certain privileges for Nigerian passport holders, such as visa-on-arrival, e-visa, and outright passport issues.
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Specifically, Nigerian passport holders are no longer able to easily obtain Turkey's e-visa; this was a straightforward process before.
Despite these modifications, Hidayet Bayraktar, the Turkish ambassador to Nigeria, made it clear that Nigerian passport holders are not prohibited from obtaining visas.
She said,
“As it is well-known, if there will be any update regarding rules and procedures of the policies and practices of any country, these updates are officially notified to the respective foreign ministries, and statements/announcements are issued by the embassies.”
Visa applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, the secretary explained, addressing specific instances where applicants faced rejections.
Bayraktar added,
“While every application has been considered as case by case, for an applicant who has previously been denied a visa, (if there is not any fraud or forged documents detected) he/she should correct the mistakes that have been made in his/her initial application and try to improve the quality of his/her application. Besides, he/she should update the documentation and refrain from supplying old versions of required supporting documents.”
This clarification came following the ranking of Nigeria’s passport among the world’s least powerful, according to the Henley Passport Index.
In 2023, Nigeria was ranked 90th globally, allowing visa-free admission to only 46 out of 227 destinations.
Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s passport is the fifth-worst in Africa, tied with South Sudan, and only ahead of Congo, Eritrea, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia.
When The Punch contacted the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Eche Abu-Ode on the issue, he said, “I will confirm and revert.”
FG shares update on visa ban reversal
Legit.ng reported that the federal government has disclosed that the prohibition on Nigerian nationals obtaining visas to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been resolved.
Although the announcement has yet to be made, Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, said it will be made public shortly.
He made this statement on Wednesday, May 22, in response to criticism from Osita Chidoka, the former minister of aviation, on his X account.
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Source: Legit.ng
