NDLEA Removes Spousal Approval Requirement for Married Women in Visa Clearance

• The NDLEA has removed a controversial requirement for married women to present spousal approval for visa clearance, following a recent review
• The agency introduced the rule due to concerns in certain countries but has now deemed it non-mandatory
• An updated visa clearance procedure will be announced in the coming days, as part of the NDLEA’s efforts to streamline the process

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the removal of a controversial requirement for married women to present a letter of approval from their husbands for visa clearance.

This item, previously listed as part of the agency's visa clearance procedure for certain countries, was deemed non-mandatory during a recent review of the process.

In a public notice issued on Thursday, Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy for the NDLEA, confirmed that the requirement, which was initially introduced in response to issues in certain source countries, has been "jettisoned" as part of the ongoing review.

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In a public notice issued on Thursday, Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy for the NDLEA, confirmed that the requirement, which was initially introduced in response to issues in certain source countries, has been "jettisoned" as part of the ongoing review.

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The agency aims to reassure the public that the clearance procedure is being streamlined, and further updates will be shared in the coming days.

The visa clearance process handled by the NDLEA is a critical step for Nigerians traveling to specific countries. The removal of the spousal approval requirement is seen as a progressive step towards addressing concerns over gender-based discrimination in travel documentation.

The updated visa clearance procedure is expected to be officially released soon. The full statement read thus:

“The entire procedure for visa clearance issued by the NDLEA as required by some countries is currently undergoing review and the requirement for a married woman to present a letter of approval from her husband to travel is one of the items that the Agency has since jettisoned as a non-mandatory item on the list. The inclusion of that item abinitio arose following some ugly developments in some source countries. Members of the public are assured that the item has been deleted from the list of requirements in the ongoing review exercise, which will be made public in the coming days.”

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has alerted the public to the activities of scammers taking advantage of the unsuspecting job seekers.

NDLEA, in a recent statement sighted by Legit.ng, said some criminal elements operate a job scam syndicate.

Source: Legit.ng