The Turkish Embassy in Nigeria confirmed on Saturday that there is no visa ban for Nigerian passport holders, dispelling concerns raised by recent reports.
On Thursday, reports emerged suggesting that Ethiopia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates had revoked specific privileges for Nigerian passport holders, including visa-on-arrival, e-visas, and direct passport issues.
Specifically, Turkey no longer allows Nigerian passport holders to obtain an e-visa, which was previously a straightforward process.
Despite these changes, the Personal Secretary to the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Wunmi Evelyn, clarified in a chat with our correspondent, “There is no visa ban on Nigerian passport holders.
“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 assessed individually, the secretary explained, addressing specific cases where applicants experienced rejections.
“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,” she added.
This clarification followed the ranking of Nigeria’s passport among the world’s least powerful according to the Henley Passport Index.
In 2023, Nigeria ranked 90th globally, permitting visa-free access to only 46 out of 227 destinations.
Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s passport is the fifth weakest in Africa, tied with South Sudan, and only ahead of Congo, Eritrea, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia.
………….
Note : To submit Press Releases, Statements, and Advert Inquiries for publication on Waffi blog (website) or Television 📺, please use the following contact details: You can send an email to info@waffitv.com or reach us via Whatsapp at 07068286500
