The Nigerian government has announced that all visa applications will transition to an online platform before March 1.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed this during a live session on ‘X Spaces’ hosted by influencer Dr Segun Awosanya.
Dr Tunji-Ojo highlighted the establishment of a centralised visa approval centre, designed to merge visa processes, enhance national security, and combat corruption.
He stated, “The visa approval centre is a significant achievement for this administration. It centralises visa processing, ensures proper vetting, and eliminates irregularities. By March 1, all visa applications will be handled online.”
Credit: Airways Office
The minister also discussed the development of a harmonised data centre at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex, located at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) headquarters in Sauka, Abuja.
“We inherited an immigration service without a central data centre, with sensitive information stored privately by contractors, breaching the Data Protection Act,” he explained.
Dr Tunji-Ojo noted that the government initially promised a 1.4-petabyte data centre but delivered an 8.3-petabyte facility—one of the largest globally.
This modernisation aims to secure Nigeria’s data infrastructure and streamline the issuance of security documents, ensuring compliance with global standards.
