South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has cancelled passport submissions during tourist visa applications for Nigerians.
Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, announced Ramaphosa’s decision in a statement.
One of the requirements to obtain a South African visa is the submission of the national passport.
Onanuga said Ramaphosa scrapped the process on Tuesday at the opening of the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Cape Town, which Tinubu attended.
Ramaphosa said South Africa’s efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with Nigeria saw the implementation of a five-year multiple-entry visa.
“Our efforts to create a favourable environment include our simplified visa process for Nigerian businesspeople to travel to South Africa. Qualifying Nigerian businesspeople can be granted a five-year multiple-entry visa,” the statement quoted the South African president to have said.
“As we mark 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, we see a bright future for our relationship. Our strong bonds of friendship provide a firm foundation for more meaningful economic cooperation.”
Onanuga said Tinubu commended Ramaphosa’s initiative, noting that he shared the belief that Nigeria and South Africa can leverage their potential for continental development.
“I must, however, sound a note of caution. Let us not count our successes by the number of MoUs and agreements signed. They will be mere papers until we implement them,” Tinubu said.
The president urged government officials in charge of relevant sectors to ensure that agreements are effectively implemented.
