Delays and restrictions currently affecting Nigerian visa applicants in various countries may be a result of reciprocal immigration measures taken in response to Nigeria’s own visa policies, according to Professor Joshua Bolarinwa, Director at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, Bolarinwa explained that reciprocity is a core principle of international relations, and that countries often mirror each other’s diplomatic conduct through their visa regimes.
“One of the major principles in diplomatic relations is reciprocity. You do me, I do you as two equal sovereign states,” he said. “Now, Nigeria naturally and Nigerians will not want a case where you have those stringent conditions from the United Arab Emirates.”
He pointed to mounting complaints by Nigerians about complex visa processes in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, and UAE, suggesting these difficulties may, in part, stem from how Nigeria treats foreign nationals seeking entry into the country.
“On the American side, it looks like Nigerians are treated along with some other countries, whatever explanations the Nigerian government has given. But are we facing this as a result of the fact that Nigeria, too, in terms of our visa policies, we seem not to be very fair to citizens of other countries? Because other nationals will tell you that to get a Nigerian visa is a very serious ordeal,” Bolarinwa noted.
“So if you make it difficult for people from other countries to get a Nigerian visa, you shouldn’t be surprised if the other countries then impose their own restrictions.”
He emphasized that while countries have the sovereign right to review and update their visa requirements, many of these changes are driven by reciprocity rather than arbitrary decisions.
“Changing visa policies, restrictions, and all of that on visa policies around the world, they are usually a global action,” he explained. “And it happens occasionally. Countries have the right to review their visa policies over time. But more importantly is the issue of reciprocity.”
Further reinforcing the point, Bolarinwa said:
“Reciprocity is a principle in international relations that says that when you take an action, then such action warrants a reaction from the other country. So it’s a tit for tat, like you mentioned earlier. And in most cases, when certain policies are introduced, reviewing visas, then other countries will have to reciprocate it, or they will have to take a responsive action.”
He also highlighted that between 2022 and 2025, Nigeria underwent a major visa policy review aimed at enhancing trade, tourism, and the ease of doing business. While well-intentioned, these changes may be perceived differently by foreign governments.
“In this context, Nigeria’s visa policy has been the way it has been, between 2022 and 2025, in the process of trying to do certain innovations, some improvements, to facilitate movement of people, goods and services, trade, and all of that, and the ease of doing business policy that the Nigerian government introduced. That came with a lot of review on Nigeria’s visa policies. And that led to so many things.”
In conclusion, Bolarinwa stressed that policy reforms must be matched with meaningful improvements in administrative delivery to ensure Nigeria’s visa and diplomatic processes are not only fair but effective.
