Dr. Bobby Moroe, the Consul General of the South African Embassy in Lagos, announced during the South Africa Consulate/Aviators Africa Aviation Stakeholders Engagement hosted by Radisson Blu in Lagos over the weekend that plans are underway for the South African embassy in Nigeria to issue 10-year visas to Nigerian entrepreneurs and aviation practitioners.
This move comes as the total trade volume between the two countries was estimated at $3 billion in 2022.
Dr. Moroe explained that the Nigerian business environment is diverse and that it would be inappropriate to continue issuing only three-month visas to citizens of the country, especially those who regularly conduct business between the two countries.
He stated that a 10-year visa period for Nigerians would facilitate business, human resources, training, and tourism expansion between the two countries.
Dr. Moroe emphasized the need for collaboration between the two countries to advance the continent rather than compete against each other.
Furthermore, Dr. Moroe noted that the engagement provided an opportunity for stakeholders to address any issues in the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa.
He urged aviation practitioners in Nigeria to take advantage of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the governments of the two countries to move the sector forward. The 10-year visa would replace the current practice of issuing multiple three-month visas to Nigerians by the South African Government.
