Foreign investors to get visas within 48 hours – FG

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said the Federal Execu­tive Council (FEC) has ap­proved the constitution of a committee to streamline visa processes and acqui­sition for investors coming into the country.

Addressing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting at the Pres­idential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, the minister lamented that the visa pro­cesses had become cum­bersome and apparently hindering the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

According to him, the Minister of Interior, the Minister of Finance and other stakeholders will be meeting to discuss the way forward, adding that the visa processes should be ready in 48 hours when the process is concluded, reports Daily Independent.

He said: “The visa pro­cess is becoming cumber­some which is not encour­aging investors and the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

“FEC has set up a com­mittee to look at the pres­ent state of visa process with the aim to reducing the cumbersome nature of the process. Meaning that the investors and tourists coming into the country will find it a lot easier to come into the country pro­vided they follow laid down processes.

“This includes the eVisa platforms that is already been discussed. There is also the idea of every visa application being processed within 48 hours. This is still work in progress. The Minister of Interior is working with the Minister of Finance and other stake­holders to ensure that the visa process is done quick­ly and done with as soon as possible.

“Investors, tourists would find it easy to acquire a visa within 48 hours.”