Abuja: Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has said that Nigeria is committed to prioritising Identity Verification on Consular Services to bolster its new visa regime.
Tuggar disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during a pitch presentation by ASFAAR, a visa and tour company, aimed at easing visa processing for Nigerians.
President Bola Tinubu recently directed all federal agencies involved in consular and immigration matters to comply strictly with Nigeria’s international visa commitments.
This follows the adjustments in visa issuance policies being implemented by the U.S. government and the United Arab Emirates.
The Federal Government aims to enhance intergovernmental collaboration in verifying the identities of citizens applying for visas and other consular services abroad through the policy.
According to the minister, such policies affect Nigerian travellers; hence, there is a need for dependable access to visa applicants’ identity records.
Tuggar said, “The Federal Government’s policy, in collaboration with ASFAAR and the Council on Biometric Data Verification Policy, is aimed at protecting the integrity of our citizens.
“The policy is in securing the visa application process and facilitating seamless travel, while safeguarding the sovereignty of all involved nations, which enjoys full inter-agency backing.
“The objective is to eliminate identity fraud and ensure that only genuinely vetted Nigerian applicants are issued visas at embassies and high commissions.”
He explained that this would also discourage the use of unauthorised third-party agents, who obtain and handle sensitive personal data outside government oversight, posing grave national and international security risks.
The event attracted participants from the Ministry of Aviation, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and diplomats, among others.
