UK applications for Nigerian visas ‘on the rise’
By Simon Kolawole who was in London, 03.03.2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Despite the negative perception of Nigeria abroad, there has been a steady increase in the number of applications for Nigerian visas at the country’s High Commission in the United Kingdom.





Nigeria’s High Commis-sioner to the UK, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, informed THISDAY in London at the weekend that there has been “a noticeable rise in the number of British nationals applying for entry visa as well as permits to come and work in the country”.

The British government has consistently issued a negative travel advisory on Nigeria to its citizens owing to what it calls “insecurity”, especially because of the kidnappings in the Niger Delta.

In the last four years, 42 British nationals working in the oil industry have been kidnapped in the oil-producing region by militants agitating for greater control of the resources of the region, which supplies Nigeria with over 80 per cent of its budgetary revenues.

Nigeria also suffers from image problems in the UK as a result of drug trafficking, credit card fraud, identity theft, general immigration offences and the advance fee fraud, otherwise known as “419” perpetrated by some Nigerians.

“Nigeria remains a very important country to the United Kingdom despite all these negative developments,” the High Commissioner, who assumed office at the mission April last year, said. “The fact that more and more British citizens are applying for work permits and visitor visas is an indication of this. The trend is increasing.”

The High Commissioner said between 100 and 250 visas are granted daily, while in 2008, 950 subject-to-regularisation (STR) work visas were issued and 1030 temporary work permits (TWP) were also granted to British nationals.

Tafida said Nigeria is the second largest African market for the country’s former colonial masters, coming next to South Africa which is regarded as the continent’s most successful nation.

“Nigeria is Britain’s 34th largest overseas market and the second largest in Africa after South Africa. UK exports of goods to Nigeria were worth £1.013 billion in 2007 and £882 million in services in the same year. UK investments in Nigeria are estimated at about £1 billion,” the former Senator revealed, although he said comparable statistics of Nigeria’s exports to the UK are not available “but crude oil remains the major export item aside from commodities. In fact, Britain accounts for 5.7 per cent of Nigeria’s external trade.”

The governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Timi Sylva, had threatened last Thursday at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatam House, London, that he would no longer honour invitations by the British government to discuss the Niger Delta if it continued to issues travel warnings against the region despite all efforts Nigeria was making to contain militant activities.

Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who was at the forum along with Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, said he had decided against attending any event relating to the Niger Delta which is held in Lagos or Abuja or anywhere outside the oil-producing region in protest against the negative portray of the region “despite all our efforts to put security in place”.

Meanwhile, Tafida also informed THISDAY that as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s mission in the UK, he has taken steps to make the Consular Section more active and responsive to the need of Nigerians.

“One of the things the section has done recently is to visit Nigerians in British prisons and counsel them,” he said. “The response was wonderful. Many of the prisoners were crying, saying that was the first time the government of Nigeria was showing any interest in their plight.”

He said the number of Nigerians in prisons had reduced dramatically, from 1,461 last year to 887 this year. There are between two and three million Nigerians living in the UK.

“This is a significant development,” he said, although he admitted that he was not too sure what was responsible for the drop—whether they had completed their prison terms, were given parole or crimes committed by Nigerians had actually reduced.

Tafida also said Nigeria was in the process of signing a prisoner exchange agreement with the UK. This would enable Nigerian prisoners to come and serve their terms in Nigeria, likewise for British prisoners in Nigeria,

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/mar/3/209.html

Ho ho ho Nigeria is the new obodo oyibo for UK citizens.

3 million naija in the UK?



Hoooooooooooooooooooolyy shit!

I am to assume that half of nairaland is from the UK then?

3 million naija in the UK?



Hoooooooooooooooooooolyy shit!

I am to assume that half of nairaland is from the UK then?

Roflmao; Sauron is ashamed to come home then. Why is he hiding in UK?

St.Funmi:

Roflmao; Sauron is ashamed to come home then. Why is he hiding in UK?

Come home n do what when i have a good paying job over here??
You think everyone loves wanking cows like you in Agege beef market??

Come home n do what when i have a good paying job over here??
You think everyone loves wanking cows like you in Agege beef market??

Your mates are in Abuja collecting huge contracts and making millions while you wallow in UK working at the railway. Are you a man at all?. Can't you take risks and allow your destiny to run full course. Is it Bimbo that is holding you back there or what? make hay while the sun shines. Your national cake is up for grabs.

St.Funmi:

Your mates are in Abuja collecting huge contracts and making millions while you wallow in UK working at the railway. Are you a man at all?. Can't you take risks and allow your destiny to run full course. Is it Bimbo that is holding you back there or what? make hay while the sun shines. Your national cake is up for grabs.

National cakes when midnight marauders, ritualists, epileptic power supply, cunts, thugs and corrupt police officers are waiting to pinch from you??
I'd pass. I love ma comfort.
U can go to Naija and get raped by HIV-infected daredevil robbers.
I would bring a beautiful bouquet on your funeral.

If i get a good job in naija, i might go back too
but if i think of the electricity n medical care . . . i wont go

How will Tope go when David Dylan is not ready to go home yet?. Does she really want a job or David Dylan?

St.Funmi:

How will Tope go when David Dylan is not ready to go home yet?. Does she really want a job or David Dylan?

hehehe wetin come consign me with david
he has his life, i have mine too

National cakes when midnight marauders, ritualists, epileptic power supply, cunts, thugs and corrupt police officers are waiting to pinch from you??
I'd pass. I love ma comfort.
U can go to Naija and get raped by HIV-infected daredevil robbers.
I would bring a beautiful bouquet on your funeral.

Any man that says stuff like this will never go home for at least the next 40 years. What do you do when you hear Naijas singing 'oh my home, oooo my home' in pubs while watching arsenal wallop manchester?

Lie lie High Commissioner - 250 PER DAY? To do what in naija??   That means over 75,000 Brits get Visas into naija annually. And only 42 get kidnapped? MEND needs to step up their activities jo.  

The work visas sounds more plausible - about 2,000 a year, many being renewals and the like I'm sure.

hehehe wetin come consign me with david Tongue
he has his life, i have mine too

Is it Debosky?. If you live any of them here because you want to go work in Idowu taylor, SpikedBusibodykarmamotunrayo go grabbam . You are warned. Guard your dry fish well  well before rat go choppam.

Lie lie High Commissioner - 250 PER DAY? To do what in naija?? Huh That means over 75,000 Brits get Visas into naija annually. And only 42 get kidnapped? MEND needs to step up their activities jo. Grin ;Djavascript:void(0);

The work visas sounds more plausible - about 2,000 a year, many being renewals and the like I'm sure.

Stop destroying our image please.

St.Funmi:

Is it Debosky?. If you live any of them here because you want to go work in Idowu taylor, SpikedBusibodykarmamotunrayo go grabbam . You are warned. Guard your dry fish well well before rat go choppam.

let them take him. . . i dash them
i will find me an aristo

tope2000:

If i get a good job in naija, i might go back too

I have a cocoa farm. . . .U can go and manage it for me.

St.Funmi:

Any man that says stuff like this will never go home for at least the next 40 years. What do you do when you hear Naijas singing 'oh my home, oooo my home' in pubs while watching arsenal wallop manchester?

Olodo. . . . . .
It's not "oh my home, ooo my home". . . . . .It's "Take me home".

With loads of money, one can buy convenience.
2 Industrial generating sets to cut off NEPA or whatever they are called these days.
A quiet environment in Ogun State and paramilitary men as guards.
Thatz the only way to buy comfort in Naija.
Tell me when you are going home. . . . .I want to start animal husbandry in Ilesha.
How many years experience have u copped wanking pigs??

let them take him. . . i dash them
i will find me an aristo

Beware of awon boys. One of them is walking around here as sauron.

Tafida also said Nigeria was in the process of signing a prisoner exchange agreement with the UK. This would enable Nigerian prisoners to come and serve their terms in Nigeria, likewise for British prisoners in Nigeria,

I'm uncomfortable with this part.

Tell me when you are going home. . . . .I want to start animal husbandry in Ilesha

Is that a ploy to penetrate our women?. You promise us a massive investment, do it half way and impregnate over 20 women duringg the process?. If you have over $100K to invest in Osun state, i can help you with the logistics.

I'm uncomfortable with this part.

Are they not your brothers?. Accept them now?

~Sauron~:

I have a cocoa farm. . . .U can go and manage it for me.

u dey craze , u see oil company there
u didnt say i shud manage that one. . . .yeye boy

St.Funmi:

Beware of awon boys. One of them is walking around here as sauron.

wateva i want, sauron must want.
abi i lie?

DaPhoenix:

I'm uncomfortable with this part.

why?
do you know someone in the big house?
let them come to Nigeria and serve out their terms jo
let them come and have a taste of the real prison system

wateva i want, sauron must want.
abi i lie?

Sauron is a lying cheating viagra chewing poor playa whose semen obeys the force of gravity no matter the position.

St.Funmi:

Sauron is a lying cheating viagra chewing poor playa whose semen obeys the force of gravity no matter the position.

St.Funmi:

Is that a ploy to penetrate our women?. You promise us a massive investment, do it half way and impregnate over 20 women duringg the process?. If you have over $100K to invest in Osun state, i can help you with the logistics.

I do. . . . . .Osun State isn't just the right place abeg.
They are too salary dependent. Most of em work for the government and all they know is 'I will pay at the end of the month'
Find somewhere else apart from Osun State and letz do business.

DaPhoenix:

I'm uncomfortable with this part.

They are not violent criminals. 90% of em were locked up for deception or immigration issues.

wateva i want, sauron must want.
abi i lie?  

POSITIVE!!!

Funmi is a pig wanking lying femme fatale with the uncanny ability to cause chaos with her toxic tongue.
Stay away from her.

I do. . . . . .Osun State isn't just the right place abeg.
They are too salary dependent. Most of em work for the government and all they know is 'I will pay at the end of the month'
Find somewhere else apart from Osun State and letz do business.

How else can you pay back to your homeland apart from investing in rural states?. Don't you aspire to be a philanthropist like Abiola?

St.Funmi:

How else can you pay back to your homeland apart from investing in rural states?. Don't you aspire to be a philanthropist like Abiola?

What about Zamfara, Kano or Ebonyi??

~Sauron~:

POSITIVE!!!

I trust u jare

Funmi is a pig wanking lying femme fatale with the uncanny ability to cause chaos with her toxic tongue.
Stay away from her.

Kai . . . . . . u guys are always at it
i love u guy's sense of humour

What about Zamfara, Kano or Ebonyi??

Charity begins at home.

Are you the cop in this video?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZnmudsoqIg&feature=related

St.Funmi:

Are they not your brothers?. Accept them now?

**osisi:

why?
do you know someone in the big house?
let them come to Nigeria and serve out their terms jo
let them come and have a taste of the real prison system

~Sauron~:

They are not violent criminals. 90% of em were locked up for deception or immigration issues.

I feel like the Nigerian prisoners will be treated worse when they get to Nigeria.

DaPhoenix:

I feel like the Nigerian prisoners will be treated worse when they get to Nigeria.

They release em once they clear immigration in Lagos Airport.
Once you exchange £50 with their handshakes. . . .U are on your way home.

St.Funmi:

Charity begins at home.

Are you the cop in this video?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZnmudsoqIg&feature=related

Next time. . . . .Do the embedding.
I am not Igbo so i couldn't have been that cop.
He is Aloy.Emeka(your bedmate).

Next time. . . . .Do the embedding.

Tell me how to do it.