Nigeria’s first visa application center, Asfaar, has been launched by the federal ministry of foreign affairs to handle travel requests and combat document fraud.
Asfaar, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar, is essential to preserving Nigeria’s sovereignty in its international relations. His special assistant on media and communications strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, spoke on Tuggar’s behalf Tuesday during the media tour and press opening of the visa processing facility in Abuja.
The headquarters of several visa service providers with operations in Nigeria are located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), including French-owned TLScontact and VFS Global.
The minister said, “Before now, one of the major issues that countries have with Nigeria is the sanctity and integrity of its data.
“So what they usually say is that ‘We’re not sure whether its your country, people have fake passports, people are traveling on data of other countries to come to our countries’. These are some of the issues that Nigeria has been facing in the past.
“However, in the last two years, there has been a process to tidy up the data that is coming out of Nigeria.
“In order to make sure that the data, the passport and other agency documents are organized and have the necessary value to travel, this involves cooperation with ONSA, NIMC, and the ministry of foreign affairs. “What has now happened is that Asfaar came at the right time, where it is using its processes to ensure a further verification of the data that is provided.”
According to Asfaar’s CEO, Jamil Hausawi, the organization was established to alleviate the growing visa requirements and difficulties that Nigerians encounter when they travel outside.
Hausawi pointed out that although embassies are still in charge of approving visas, applicants who use Asfaar will have the appropriate government entities act as go-betweens in the event that problems occur.
According to him, Asfaar will be introduced in three stages. The first stage will focus on the Arab and Gulf states, which see a lot of Nigerian tourists, many of whom come there several times a year to perform the hajj and umrah, but where visa restrictions have presented significant difficulties in recent years.
The rollout will be “gradual,” he stated, adding that the second phase will cover Asia and Australia and the third phase will include Europe and the US.
Asfaar spokesperson Nelson Obiabo stated that the organization has only started skeletal services and would start full functioning as soon as integration with embassies and consulates is complete.
