No Visa Ban On Nigerians, Says Turkey Embassy 

No Visa Ban On Nigerians, Says Turkey Embassy 

The Turkish Embassy in Nigeria has officially clarified that there is no visa ban imposed on Nigerian passport holders, contrary to recent reports that have caused concerns. Reports had circulated suggesting that countries like Ethiopia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates had restricted privileges for Nigerian passport holders, including visa-on-arrival, e-visa services, and passport issuances.

Specifically, Turkey had stopped issuing e-visas to Nigerian passport holders, a process that was previously straightforward.

The Personal Secretary to the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Wunmi Evelyn, emphasized that visa applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, addressing instances where certain applicants may have experienced rejections.

“There is no visa ban on Nigerian passport holders.

“As it is well-known, if there will be any update regarding rules and procedures of the policies and practices of any country, these updates are officially notified to the respective foreign ministries, and statements/announcements are issued by the embassies.

“While every application has been considered as case by case, for an applicant who has previously been denied a visa, (if there is not any fraud or forged documents detected) he/she should correct the mistakes that have been made in his/her initial application and try to improve the quality of his/her application.

“Besides, he/she should update the documentation and refrain from supplying old versions of required supporting documents,” she told Newsmen.

This clarification from the Turkish Embassy follows the backdrop of Nigeria’s passport being ranked among the weakest globally, as reported by the Henley Passport Index.

In the 2023 ranking, Nigeria stood at 90th place, enabling visa-free entry to only 46 out of 227 destinations.

Nigeria’s passport is among the lowest-ranked in Africa, sharing the fifth-worst position with South Sudan and ranking just above Congo, Eritrea, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia.

As of now, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Eche Abu-Ode, has not released an official statement addressing this issue.