How Can We Have Borderless Africa When Nigeria Charges $215 For Single Entry Visa? CNN Reporter, Larry Madowo Protests
CNN International correspondent, Larry Madowo, has expressed dismay over Nigeriaโs visa fees.
Madowo, who made this known on his LinkedIn account on Monday, disclosed that despite holding a Kenyan passport, which grants visa-free access to numerous African nations such as Uganda, South Africa, and Ghana, Nigeria requires a substantial fee of $215 for a single-entry visa.
He wrote, โNigeria just charged me $215 for a one-month, single entry visa. Again. I was here three weeks ago โ paid the same $215. This is actually my third time in Nigeria this year, so they have made $645 from me in 2024 alone.
โThe visa itself costs $25, but Nigeria charges a $20 โprocessing feeโ and $170 for biometrics every time. My fingerprints havenโt changed since I was here three weeks ago. Why am I paying $170 to have them taken and to pose for a picture each time I visit? Isnโt that a standard part of admitting someone into a country?
โHow can we achieve a borderless Africa, or the promise of the AfCFTA, if we charge Africans $215 for a single-entry visa?
โIn the three weeks since I was last in Lagos, I went to Uganda, South Africa, and Ghana, where I donโt need a visa with a Kenyan passport. In fact, Iโve also been to South Africa three times this year. It cost me $0, like the ancestors intended.
โNigeriaโs visa-on-arrival system is similar to the โvisa-freeโ delusion of Kenyaโs Electronic Travel Authorisation โ you apply in advance, submit some documents, and wait for it to be approved. It can take up to five business days. If you know โsomeone,โ you can pay them $50 or more to โfacilitateโ a faster approval.
โI love Nigeria, but the visa situation is showing me shege. Itโs too much oo! Why this Shege Pro Max?โ