China, India, and Ghana ranked amongst the top three out of the top 10 countries with the highest numbers of arrivals and departures into Nigeria in 2019, data from the Nigerian Immigration Services, NIS annual report, has shown.
They were followed by Lebanon, the United States of America (USA), Niger Republic, and Germany. Italy, South Africa, and Cameroon make up the rest of the top 10 countries with the highest number of arrivals and departures into the country in 2019.
According to the report, Nigeria recorded a total of 5.05 million arrivals and departures in 2019 up by 11.57 percent of the total of 4.53 million recorded in 2018. Of the total numbers of 5.05 million, 2.51 million people arrived in the country in 2019 up from 2.21 million in 2018 which represented an increase of 14 percent while 2.54 million departed the country up by 9.3 percent from the 2.32 million departures recorded in 2018.
Giving a breakdown of the nationality of those who entered and exited the country, NIS disclosed that 29, 424 Chinese nationals arrived and departed the country in 2019 followed by 26, 061 Indians, and 12, 148 Ghanaians. 10, 704 Lebanese, 9,830 Americans, and 9,128 Nigeriens also arrived and departed the country. While Germany, Italy, South Africa, and Cameroon were responsible for 8959, 7406, 7380 and 7251 arrivals and departures in 2019
NIS in the annual report further disclosed that Nigerian airports were responsible for 72 percent of arrivals and departures down from 78 percent recorded in 2018 in the country while the country’s land borders and seaports were responsible for 27.3 percent and 0.7 percent arrivals and departures respectively.
