President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the interior ministry to start the process of issuing Visas at the nation’s airports to prospective investors and the business communities. Speaking at the just concluded 17th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, President Jonathan said the policy is part of his administration’s effort to remove bottlenecks encountered by investors in the country.

According to him, there was no reason for people who want to invest made to go through rigorous processes of getting Visas into the country. The President also ordered the issuance of at least 10-year Visas to some of the recognized Chief Executives in the oil and telecoms sectors.

He said it didn’t made sense to him if ACEOs of companies like Shell, Agip or MTN that have billion of investments in the country needed to be renewing Visas every two years. He said all these are parts of his agenda to ease investment climate in Nigeria.

“Let me commend the organisers of the Summit for the choice of this year’s Summit theme, which is “Attracting Foreign Direct Investment, through Global Partnerships”. This is quite apt and timely. It is also consistent with the aspirations of the Transformation Agenda and Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020. This also reinforces the need to do all that is necessary to guarantee the security and profitability of foreign investments in our country”.

“We are committed to doing things differently and to fulfilling our role to our citizens and the global community. We have established clear criteria and mechanisms for benchmarking and the setting of performance targets, so we can drive our economy in a positive direction, in line with global best practices.”

http://allafrica.com/stories/201111150887.html

There are many indians and chinese parading with Nigerian passports, If you can bribe ur way to get a passport, why the heck would you need a visa ?! Goodluck, get your priorities in order.

Did he really write all that?
Or did "Dame Pat" do it for him?

meexteriox:

According to him, there was no reason for people who want to invest made to go through rigorous processes of getting Visas into the country. The President also ordered the issuance of at least 10-year Visas to some of the recognized Chief Executives in the oil and telecoms sectors.

He said it didn’t made sense to him if ACEOs of companies like Shell, Agip or MTN that have billion of investments in the country needed to be renewing Visas every two years. He said all these are parts of his agenda to ease investment climate in Nigeria.

Who said it is not EVIL to be poor . . , ROFL!!!!

'whenever i adjust my hat, critics go insane' - GEJ

Good, Boko Haram don't need to brave the desert heat anymore, they can fly directly into Abuja and get their visas on arrival.
Great one retardeen.

there was no reason for people who want to invest made to go through rigorous processes of getting Visas into the country.

Nice one GEJ, Naija is beginning to think like a serious Nation.

Arosa:

Nice one GEJ, Naija is beginning to think like a serious Nation.   

Yes, because all the rich businessmen in Nigeria get US Visas without even heading to the embassy.

Nonsense.

Is there a known criteria for the issuance of such airport visas? Or would it be about handsomeness, ugliness, beauty or wallet size, etc. Mr. Dr. President,  visas ought to be issued at embassies and all bottlenecks removed there.

i'm not comfortable with this new policy from the Retardeen. How will one identify a potential investor at the airport? This policy can be abused severally IMO.

moderatorr:

'whenever i adjust my hat, critics (KoboKobo, Egift n co) go insane' - GEJ

@ 0Demdem, you can identify potential investors by bribes you receive.

obowunmi:

There are many indians and chinese parading with Nigerian passports, If you can bribe your way to get a passport, why the heck would you need a visa ?! Goodluck, get your priorities in order.

Such thing is not only common in Nigeria, if you have your way you will still obtain, UK passport, Russian passport, Canadian passport etc. Corruption is everywhere.

@ Obowunmi.

Interesting!!!!!

Abi now, or maybe he can use super powers.

He will soon go and be begging them to invest.
Once you do the right thing, u don't need to beg or set your standard so low
They are calling for investors when infrastructure is not in place.

eghost247:

[size=13pt]But what is it with all of you the man never seems to do anything right in your eyes Rubbish Haterz[/size]

IT IS BEGINNING TO DAWN EVEN TO GEJ'S MOST GENUINE AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICS THAT THERE IS MUCH MORE THAN MEETS THE EYES IN THESE PEOPLE'S STYLE OF POURING SCORN ON THE NIGERIAN PRESIDENT[/b]. HE IS A LEGITIMATE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA UNTIL HIS TERM OF OFFICE EXPIRES. VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE CAN ONLY BE PASSED IN THE HOUSE BY ELECTED REPS AND NOT BY A BUNCH OF FACELESS AGITATORS WHOSE REAL MOTIVE IS NOT CLEAR.

Haters will never disappoint. LOL.

Well done sir.

The man always has his hat on, just never his 'thinking hat'.
If you leave the border unmanned, it doesnt mean people will troop in to invest. Make the environment right and people will queue to invest in your country.
Regardless of how easy it is to get into somalia, i doubt investors will be running there to spend money.
Now look at the BRIC countries, they dont need to open their borders, people will always want to do business with them as long as the environment is good.
Once again,rushed thinking(if any).
Of course a55 lickers will never disappoint, GEJs words are doctrine.

texazzpete:

Yes, because all the rich businessmen in Nigeria get US Visas without even heading to the embassy.

Nonsense.

Thanks, When Countries like Brazil are issuing visas on a ''reciprocative'' basis i.e. If my Citizens require visa before entering your country, same applies to your citizens wishing to enter my country, Even Bill Gates will need a visa to enter Brazil

^^^ You dey talk Brazil?

This guy is one of the world's worst president. so an investor will sit in his office and decide to invest in
a country because they give visa on arrival.

I'm so fucking pissed. wish I could just give a dirty slap to everyone that voted him.

werepeLeri:

Haters will never disappoint. LOL.

Well done sir.

I can't seem to understand why this guy still has followers

[it didn’t made sense to him if ACEOs of companies like Shell, Agip or MTN that have billion of investments in the country]
I don't know maybe GEJ still believe that Nigerians never wise. He called the people that looting our money "the invertors". To me nothing bad if the ACEOs of all these campanies can be asked to renew thier Visas every year.

@Kobojunkie,

I used Brazil (because they were in this same sorry situation few years back) to show how much you could achieve in a very short time if things are done right, who would have thought, ten-twenty years ago, that Brazil would take such a stance with the US

otosa:

[it didn’t made sense to him if ACEOs of companies like Shell, Agip or MTN that have billion of investments in the country]
I don't know maybe GEJ still believe that Nigerians never wise. He called the people that looting our money "the invertors". To me nothing bad if the ACEOs of all these campanies can be asked to renew thier Visas every year.

Please correct yourself. There is a difference between looting and getting easy money. Looting implies STEALING which many of these ACEOs are not guilty of. Those looting your money are more those you continue to elect each year. That they give these ACEOs easier access to make money does not make the ACEOs looters too. Let us please be sure who our enemies are.

He did not write those. The illiterate journalist did

This is a dumb move if it is true, the policy on visas should be straightforward, do you know how many chinese guys will come in to Nigeria with this type of statement?

^^^^

As much as i don't like Goodluck's administration I like this idea. It can work out well if properly managed. But, if history is anything to go by, we may be justified to conclude right now that this policy will fail like all others.

Presido is right on the money here.

Here is a list of other emerging economies (in Africa) that have the same visa policy in place.

* Burundi (Visa granted upon arrival).
* Comoros (Visa granted upon arrival).
* Djibouti (Visa granted upon arrival for 10 days or 1 month).
* Egypt (Visa granted upon arrival for 14 days for visiting South Sinai resorts only).
* Kenya (Visa granted upon arrival for 3 months).
* Madagascar (Visa granted upon arrival for 90 days).
* Mozambique (Visa granted upon arrival).
* Seychelles Visa free for 30 days
* Togo (Visa granted upon arrival for 7 days).
* Uganda (Visa granted upon arrival).

it is obvious most of u are speaking out of ignorance. Most developing countries issue visa on arrival to investors and staffs of Multi national companies. e.g staffs of UBA, GLO,SHELL ETC who are not Nigerians get visa on arrival in Accra if they present letters from their company. GEJ is not saying the visa should be given to every dick,tom and harry.