By ITOHAN ABARA-LASERIAN

Airlines transporting passengers without valid entry visas, landing and exit cards into Nigeria will be penalised, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has warned.

Tunji-Ojo gave the warning at a stakeholder sensitisation programme on the implementation of the e-Visa, landing and exit cards initiative, on Friday in Lagos.

According to the minister, no foreigner shall be allowed entry into Nigeria without a valid visa.

He said that although Nigeria was making entry more accessible with the introduction of the e-Visa, it would not compromise national security.

He urged the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ensure that airlines would adhere to the 2025 Nigeria Visa Policy.

Tunji-Ojo said that e-Visa would improve border security and promote tourism and sustainable economic growth.

?I plead with the NCAA to regulate. That is why this meeting is a strategic collaborative effort of the ministry, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the NCAA.

?For the airlines, I know you are here to do business, but you also have a responsibility in terms of national interest and security.

?Before anybody comes into Nigeria, please see their visas, not just proof of payment or their tickets.

?It is not acceptable in the U.K, U.S., Canada and other climes, and it will not be acceptable in Nigeria anymore,? he said.

The minister said that making application for e-Visa, landing and exit cards easy was necessary for the purpose of opening Nigeria?s frontiers to investors.

He disclosed that as at May 22, the NIS received a total of 5,814 applications for e-Visa, approved 5,671, rejected 66 and queried 62, since the introduction on May 1.

According to him, the e-Visa process will improve the data base of the NIS with information of travellers, with a processing time of 48 hours.

He explained the features of the e-Visa, landing and exit cards, saying they had a barcode to reveal the bio data and travel log of passengers.

?That you applied for a Nigerian visa does not mean you will have the visa; you will need to meet certain criteria for the visa to be issued,? he said.

The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, in his address of welcome, said that the introduction of the e-Visa and the associated landing and exit card systems, was a milestone.

Najomo said that the new process was Nigeria?s journey toward enhancing air travel facilitation, while ensuring that the highest standards of aviation security and operational efficiency would be maintained.

?The e-Visa showcases one of the practical ways we continually align with global best practices by complying with the ICAO provisions of Annex 9 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation ? on Facilitation.

?It is inherently designed to improve the experience of travellers, while strengthening our border control mechanisms.

?The importance of seamless inter-agency collaboration cannot be over-emphasised in a bid to ensure effective implementation of these systems without compromising safety, security or service delivery,? he said.

The Controller-General of the NIS, Kemi Nandap, thanked the minister of Interior and that of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

She also lauded the NCAA director-general, the managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the NIS team.

The NIS boss also called for more inter-agency collaboration to further strengthen seamless implementation of the e-Visa, landing and exit cards initiative.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that airline operators and other stakeholders were at the event. (NAN)

Update news