Turkey has denied rumors that it has banned issuing travel visas to Nigerians.
The clarification became necessary in the face of rumors that a number of countries including Turkey, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates, have placed travel restrictions on Nigerian passport holders.
The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Hidayet Bayraktar, over the weekend addressed the misinformation. He said although there were some modifications to Turkey’s visa application and processing protocols, Nigerian passport holders are not prohibited from applying or obtaining visas.
He said it was important to note, however, that “every application is being considered on a case-by-case basis.” In specific cases where “fraud or forged documents” are detected, such applicants must “correct the mistakes that have been made in his/her initial application and try to improve the quality of his/her application” if they hope to get a visa.
The ambassador advised applicants to also “refrain from supplying old versions of required supporting documents,” for a seamless e-visa application.
Ethiopia and the UAE have not made similar denials. However, Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, disclosed June 17 that the UAE planned lifting visa restrictions on Nigerian travelers. It restricted visa to Nigerians since 2022.
This followed discussions between Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and UAE counterpart, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Nigeria’s passport is one of the world’s least respected. Holders can travel visa-free to only 46 of the world’s 227 countries. Most of the countries are in West Africa, Iran, and the troubled nation of Haiti.
In contrast, Ghanaians can travel to 68 countries visa-free, and South Africans 108 countries, according to Henley and Partners – a global migration consultancy firm based in London.
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