The Federal Government has formally requested that India grant visa on arrival to Nigerian citizens as a reciprocal gesture. This request was made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, during the G-20 meeting held in India. According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser, Sarah Sanda, Onyeama also urged India to expedite the issuance of business visas for Nigerians. He underscored the importance of enhancing bilateral trade between the two nations.
The statement noted that Minister Onyeama is in New Delhi to participate in the G-20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which took place from March 1-2, 2023. The agenda for the meeting includes discussions on strengthening multilateralism and fostering cooperation in areas such as food and energy security, sustainable development, counter-narcotics, global health, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.
Prior to the G-20 meeting, Onyeama held discussions with his Indian counterpart, Dr. S. Jaishankar, the Indian Minister of External Affairs. During this meeting, he conveyed President Muhammadu Buhari’s gratitude to the Prime Minister of India for inviting Nigeria to participate in the G-20 meeting. In addition to requesting visa on arrival for Nigerians, he emphasized the need for India to accelerate the processing of business visas.
While acknowledging the growing bilateral relations between Nigeria and India, Onyeama highlighted the necessity of further strengthening economic, trade, and investment cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries. He also noted the ongoing collaboration in the education sector and welcomed the introduction of direct air flights between Nigeria and India.
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