FG: All Visa Applications to Go Online Before March 1

 

The Federal Government has announced that all visa applications will transition to an online system by March 1, 2025.

The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Monday during an interactive session hosted on ‘X Spaces’ by social influencer Dr. Segun Awosanya.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo revealed that the government has established a centralised visa approval centre aimed at streamlining the visa regime, enhancing national security, and curbing corruption.

“The visa approval centre is a significant achievement of this administration. We now have a centralised system to stem corruption, ensure national security, and unify the visa regime for uniformity. By March 1, all visa applications will be fully online to ensure proper vetting,” the minister stated.

Groundbreaking Data Infrastructure

The minister also highlighted the creation of a harmonised data centre, located at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC) within the headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Sauka, Abuja.

According to Dr. Tunji-Ojo, the 8.3-petabyte data centre is the largest of its kind in Nigeria’s history, designed to address long-standing issues related to data management and compliance with the Data Protection Act.

“We inherited a Nigeria Immigration Service that had no functional data centre. Critical data of Nigerians was previously managed by private contractors, violating the Data Protection Act. To resolve this, we committed to a 1.4-petabyte centre but exceeded expectations, delivering an 8.3-petabyte centre—one of the largest globally,” he said.

The minister emphasized that the initiative would safeguard Nigeria’s security documents and eliminate irregularities in data handling. He described the development as a milestone in ensuring due process and fostering innovation in public service.