You’ll soon have 10-year passport option, FG tells Nigerians in Canada

The Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador Adeyinka Asekun, says Nigerians living in Canada will soon be able to apply for 10-year passport leaflets.

He said this on Monday evening in Ottawa when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had an interactive session with some leaders of Nigerian groups across different provinces in Canada.

He said Canada would be the third country to roll out the process after the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

While speaking, Prof. Osinbajo said the vast majority of Nigerians abroad were honest, hardworking and straightforward people making positive impact all over despite the damage to the reputation of the country by a few.

He advised Nigerians in the diaspora to engage with their communities to prevent people from committing offences and crimes.

“We must engage countries also so that Nigerians are not profiled. This is something that we have been doing, working with embassies in different countries to be sure that Nigerians are given a fair chance and that there is no negative profiling of Nigerians.”

In his response to the question of difficulty in processing court cases through the court system of Nigeria, Prof. Osinbajo said “there’s a lot of innovation in the legal sector in Nigeria.”

He said the Chief Justice of the Federation had “pledged to be open to technology and quicker processing of cases.”

Regarding collaboration by Canadian universities providing training programmes for Nigerians, the Vice President noted that there is already a relationship “with some universities here like Carleton University, Ottawa, Queen’s University in Kingston already doing some work.”

He acknowledged that “there’s concern around brain drain but the reality is that, there will always be that issue and huge countries like ours will always have it.”

On Tuesday, his spokesman, Laolu Akande, said earlier Monday afternoon, the VP received two Nigerian-Canadians occupying top government positions; Kaycee Madu, the Deputy Premier of Alberta Province and Ako Ufodike, a Deputy Minister, also in Alberta.

(Daily Trust)