Kenyans now eligible to travel to Nigeria without a visa

Kenyans will soon be able to travel to Nigeria without a visa following President Muhammud Buhari’s announcement that Nigeria will begin issuing visas to all persons holding passports of African countries, at their point of entry into the country.  

President Buhari said on Thursday 12, 2019 in a tweet that the decision would come into effect in January 2020 as part of his government’s commitment to support the free movement of Africans within Africa. 

The announcement has been welcomed across the continent but split opinion in Nigeria with the President’s critics saying Africans including terrorists would “troop into” into the country. Others wondered whether the gesture would be reciprocated across Africa. 

While reacting to the announcement on Twitter, Ambassador Ahmed Awad, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia lauded the move saying it was an exemplary decision.

What do Kenyans need to travel to Nigeria at the moment?

Kenyans who wish to tour Nigeria are required to apply for a tourist visa. The application and fee payments are processed through Nigeria's Immigration website. According to the Nigerian High Commission Kenya website, Kenyans are required to fulfil the following to obtain the visa: 

• Complete the visa application forms.

• Submit a valid passport and two passport size photographs.

• Show evidence of sufficient funds.

• Submit a copy of a yellow fever certificate.

• Show proof of booking of the air ticket - to and fro.

• Provide an invitation letter from their Nigerian host and a copy of their data page of signatories in Nigeria.

The visa application can only be submitted on Mondays and Wednesdays between 10 am and 12.30 pm and can be collected within three-five working days after submission, between 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm. 

So what will change?

It is going to save time because Kenyans will not have to wait for three to five days to receive the document. That means if you hold a Kenyan passport, then you will not need to travel to the Nigerian High Commission office in Nairobi to obtain a visa before leaving for Nigeria.

What will happen on landing in Nigeria?

While holding a Visa and your Kenyan passport requires you to only walk to immigration directly to be granted access into Nigeria, from next year, you will walk to a visa counter with your passport to apply for a visa once you disembark from the plane. 

The visa will be pasted into your passport before you are cleared by immigration to tour the country.