General
Nigeria Ranks Seventh on Africa Visa Openness Index
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria has ranked seventh in the latest Africa Visa Openness Index published this month by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union Commission.
The index, which has been published since 2016, measures the extent to which African countries are open to visitors from other African countries. It also analyses each country’s visa requirements to show which countries on the continent facilitate travel to their countries.
For each country, the index calculates the number of African countries whose citizens must obtain a visa before travelling there, the number of countries whose citizens may obtain a visa upon arrival, and the number of countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter.
The index also tracks changes in the countries’ scores over time and then analyses how policies earmarked for freedom of movement across the continent are evolving.
Last year, Uganda was ranked seventh on the continent just behind Seychelles, Benin, The Gambia, Senegal, Ghana and Rwanda but this year, Nigeria upstaged Uganda.
Overall, Africa is almost evenly split between countries with a liberal visa policy and those that partially restrict entry from other African states. A quarter of African countries welcome some or all African visitors visa-free; another quarter, roughly, permits some or all African visitors to obtain a visa on arrival.
This year’s index found that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted the free movement of people around the continent as governments temporarily reversed their liberal visa regime partly in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yet, despite the COVID-19 crisis forcing many African countries to introduce measures to curtail travel, 36 countries have improved or maintained their Visa Openness Index score since 2016 when the visa openness rankings were introduced by the AfDB.
The report mentions Namibia, Morocco, and Tunisia as countries that have made the most progress in visa openness.
Still, high visa fees and cumbersome application processes remain a major bottleneck for travellers in Africa, especially business people. For instance, the average visa fee for Africans travelling on the continent is $63. The visa fees depend on the length of stay and they can range anywhere between $12-250 while the average processing time for issuing a visa can range anywhere between 1-10 days.
Speaking on this, Mrs Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the Deputy Chairperson at the AU Commission noted that the Africa Visa Openness Index report has revealed a real danger of Africa losing the gains in liberal visa policies that the continent has realized over the years.
“A lot more can be done to reduce bureaucracy, address the security implications for the free movement of people agenda, and simplify the visa process so that Africans have a smoother travel experience,” she said.
Experts at both the AfDB and the Africa Union Commission say in order for Africa to recover and rebuild, it is important that the governments combine efforts not only to expand access to vaccines but also ease the movement of people on the continent.
“Making vaccines more accessible and easing the movement of people is essential to kick-start trade and investments in tourism, travel-related industries, and other equally crucial sectors, such as agriculture, energy and manufacturing,” said Mr Khaled Sherif, the AfDB Vice President Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery.
“By supporting the free movement of people, we make it easier for Africans to do business in Africa. Free movement of people, especially workers, could help plug skills gaps while enabling countries to fix skills mismatches in their labour markets,” said Mr Jean-Guy Afrika, the Officer-In-Charge of the Regional Integration Coordination Office at the African Development Bank.
“We need the visa regime to be able to help people move around. We also need the right customs regime and the right border automation control and so on, to support the movement of people, goods and services for the development, growth and sustainability of the African economy as we begin to recover from the pandemic,” said Mrs Adefunke Adeyemi, the Africa Regional Director, at the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria has signed a joint venture with defence technology company, Terra Industries Limited, as part of efforts to boost the country’s defence industrial capacity and advance indigenous high-technology development.
The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and Terra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the Joint Venture Company (JVC), both parties announced on Monday.
The partnership provides a robust framework for the local production, assembly, research and development (R&D), and training in high-technology systems, including drones, cybersecurity solutions, robotics, and other ancillary software and hardware platforms.
The MoU, executed pursuant to the DICON Act 2023, underscores DICON’s statutory mandate to collaborate with indigenous and foreign defence-related industries through Public-Private Partnerships. Under the agreement, the Joint Venture Company will operate as a subsidiary of DICON, jointly promoted and owned by DICON and Terra Industries, and duly incorporated in Nigeria.
This marks the latest move by Terra, which recently became a $100 million company, following recent raises from investors including Flutterwave CEO, Mr Gbenga Agboola, American actor Jared Leto as well as 8VC founded by the co-founder of Palantir Technologies Inc., Mr Joe Lonsdale. Other investors included Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Leblon Capital GmbH, Silent Ventures LLC, Nova Global.
Terrahaptix, founded by Mr Nathan Nwachukwu and Mr Maxwell Maduka, are using the new funding to expand Terra’s manufacturing capacity as it expands into cross-border security and counter-terrorism.
The latest agreement with DICON is designed to establish advanced production and assembly lines for high-tech equipment within Nigeria, while promoting meaningful technology transfer, skills development, and specialised training for Nigerian personnel.
It also aims to strengthen local sourcing of raw materials, reduce dependence on imports, and enhance domestic industrial capacity and strategic autonomy. Additionally, the partnership will support the supply of security equipment to the wider Nigerian security agencies, other security agencies, positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global defence manufacturing sector.
Under the agreement, Terra Industries will provide technical expertise, professional services, and training, and will attract both local and foreign investment to strengthen the defence industrial ecosystem.
The company will also facilitate the procurement of production equipment, coordinate local and international training programmes, and provide access to manufacturing know-how, tooling, spare parts, and established defence sector supply chains.
Speaking on this, Mr Nathaniel Nwachukwu, CEO of Terra Industries, noted that the partnership “Demonstrates confidence in indigenous Nigerian engineering capability and creates a platform for sustainable defence technology development, innovation, and export competitiveness.”
On his part, Major General BI Alaya, the Director General of DICON, described the agreement as “A transformational step toward strengthening Nigeria’s defence manufacturing base, reducing import dependence, and positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for advanced innovation.”
The need for security has risen in recent years, as groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda are gaining ground in Africa, converging along a swathe of territory that stretches from Mali to Nigeria.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Dayo Mobereola, is seeking enhanced cooperation between the agency and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) with the aim of strengthening tactical air support within the Deep Blue project.
During a courtesy visit last week, Mr Mobereola told the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall S. K. Aneke at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja, that the Air Force was a strategic partner in enhancing maritime security in Nigeria and sustaining the momentum of the Deep Blue Project’s success.
According to the DG, “We are here to seek the Air Force’s support, given the importance of tactical air surveillance to the Deep Blue Project. Nigeria is the only African country with a record of zero piracy within the last 4 years. The Deep Blue Project platforms have been used to achieve zero piracy and sea robberies in the Gulf of Guinea, and we need your collaboration to sustain this momentum”.
He further emphasised that international trade depends on security, which is why vessels prefer to go to or transit through countries where they are secured. “With the traffic we have now, we need to show more security might through collaboration to strengthen our trade viability because of the risks attached to our route. We need these collaborations to sustain what we have achieved so far with the Deep Blue Project”.
The NIMASA DG expressed hope that the collaboration with the Nigeria Air Force will reduce response time.
On his part, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall S.K. Aneke, noted that the Air Force desires to be “a very supportive and collaborative partner with NIMASA and is ready to match the Agency step by step and side by side to achieve the desired results.”
He noted that “collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Air Force under the Deep Blue Project can be strengthened through a joint strategic framework, integrated command structures, and a standing steering committee to ensure shared objectives and accountability.
“Establishing a joint maritime domain awareness fusion cell will enable real-time intelligence sharing, synchronised surveillance, and faster response to maritime threats and ensure sustained operational effectiveness across Nigeria’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone,” he said, according to a statement.
The Air Force Chief added that the Air Force can also support NIMASA outside the Deep Blue Project operations by providing its own ISR platforms, tactical air support, and rapid airborne deployment for interdictions and search and rescue missions.
While thanking the NIMASA DG for the basic trainings the Agency has provided the aircraft pilots under the Deep Blue Project, Air Marshall Aneke also highlighted areas of operational challenges needing NIMASA’s attention to include bridging the communication gap between NAF operators and NIMASA, higher level and in-depth maintenance trainings, readily available fueling of aircrafts to avoid delays on missions, and provision of flying kits among others.
He therefore pledged the Air Force’s collaboration and assured that the request by NIMASA has been noted and that things will begin to move at thrice its speed going forward.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Former Vice President, Mr Atiku Abubakar, has lambasted the administration of President Bola Tinubu for the turnout at the FCT Area Council elections held last Saturday.
In a statement signed by his Media Office, the Adamawa-born politician claimed that the health of Nigeria’s democracy under the current administration was under threat.
According to him, “When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die. What we are witnessing is not mere voter apathy. It is a direct consequence of an administration that governs with a chokehold on pluralism. Democracy in Nigeria is being suffocated slowly, steadily, and dangerously.”
He warned that the steady erosion of participatory governance, if left unchecked, could inflict irreversible damage on the democratic fabric painstakingly built over decades.
“A democracy without vibrant opposition, without free political competition, and without public confidence is democracy in name only. If this chokehold is not released, history will record this era as the period when our hard-won freedoms were traded for fear and conformity,” he stressed.
Mr Atiku said the turnout for the poll was below 20 per cent, with the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) recording 7.8 per cent.
He noted that such civic participation in the nation’s capital, the symbolic heartbeat of the federation, is not accidental, as it is the predictable outcome of a political environment poisoned by intolerance, intimidation, and the systematic weakening of opposition voices.
The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections stated that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under Mr Tinubu has pursued a deliberate policy of shrinking democratic space, harassing dissenters, coercing defectors, and fostering a climate where alternative political viewpoints are treated as threats rather than contributions to national development.
He called on opposition parties and democratic forces across the country to urgently close ranks and forge a united front, declaring, “This is no longer about party lines; it is about preserving the Republic. The time to stand together to rescue and rebuild Nigeria is now.”
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