Opinion

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 Nigeriaโ€™s 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, โ€œNigeria 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.

โ€œThe visa itself costs $25, but Nigeria charges a $20 โ€˜processing feeโ€™ and $170 for biometrics every time. My fingerprints havenโ€™t 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? Isnโ€™t that a standard part of admitting someone into a country?

โ€œHow can we achieve a borderless Africa, or the promise of the AfCFTA, if we charge Africans $215 for a single-entry visa?

โ€œIn the three weeks since I was last in Lagos, I went to Uganda, South Africa, and Ghana, where I donโ€™t need a visa with a Kenyan passport. In fact, Iโ€™ve also been to South Africa three times this year. It cost me $0, like the ancestors intended.

โ€œNigeriaโ€™s visa-on-arrival system is similar to the โ€˜visa-freeโ€™ delusion of Kenyaโ€™s 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 โ€˜someone,โ€™ you can pay them $50 or more to โ€˜facilitateโ€™ a faster approval.

โ€œI love Nigeria, but the visa situation is showing me shege. Itโ€™s too much oo! Why this Shege Pro Max?โ€