The Nigerian government has announced that all visa applications will transition to an online platform before March 1.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed this during a live session on ‘X Spaces’ hosted by influencer Dr Segun Awosanya.
Dr Tunji-Ojo highlighted the establishment of a centralised visa approval centre, designed to merge visa processes, enhance national security, and combat corruption.
He stated, “The visa approval centre is a significant achievement for this administration. It centralises visa processing, ensures proper vetting, and eliminates irregularities. By March 1, all visa applications will be handled online.”
The minister also discussed the development of a harmonised data centre at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex, located at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) headquarters in Sauka, Abuja.
“We inherited an immigration service without a central data centre, with sensitive information stored privately by contractors, breaching the Data Protection Act,” he explained.
Dr Tunji-Ojo noted that the government initially promised a 1.4-petabyte data centre but delivered an 8.3-petabyte facility—one of the largest globally.
This modernisation aims to secure Nigeria’s data infrastructure and streamline the issuance of security documents, ensuring compliance with global standards.
