Founder of the Africa Development Studies Centre (ADSC), Sir Victor Oluwafemi, has warned that Nigeria’s expanding network of bilateral agreements, trade instruments, and aviation partnerships will deliver limited results unless they are backed by practical visa access for Nigerians.
In a statement issued at the weekend, Oluwafemi, who is also Founder of the Douglas Development Institute (DDI), acknowledged that Nigeria’s renewed push in economic diplomacy represents a strategic step in the right direction. However, he stressed that “trade without mobility is a half-win,” noting that agreements which Nigerians cannot practically access may appear impressive on paper but fail in the real economy.
According to him, Nigerians with legitimate reasons to travel for business, investment, education, conferences, and professional engagements continue to face slow, uncertain, and discretionary visa processes across several partner countries. He explained that unpredictable timelines, limited appointment availability, and inconsistent decisions make it difficult to translate trade promises into actual transactions.
“This is not merely a consular concern; it is a competitiveness concern,” Oluwafemi said. He argued that trade agreements only function effectively when traders can travel to meet buyers, inspect goods, and conclude contracts, just as investment partnerships depend on the ability of investors to deploy teams, conduct due diligence, and execute swiftly.
He added that aviation agreements also risk failure when passenger access remains unreliable, warning that Nigeria could end up building corridors that appear open but function as closed routes due to restrictive visa regimes.
Oluwafemi called on Nigeria to adopt a clear national standard that makes reciprocal visa facilitation and mobility protocols a core component of all major bilateral economic instruments. He proposed a structured approach that includes fast-track visa processing for official government delegations, multi-entry and accelerated visas for verified business executives and exporters, and sector-specific mobility tracks for professionals, academics, creatives, and technical experts aligned with bilateral priorities.
He emphasized that Nigeria is entitled to reciprocity, insisting that if Nigeria opens its doors through cooperation frameworks, partner countries must also open theirs to legitimate Nigerian travellers. Anything less, he said, creates an imbalance where capital and foreign counterparts move freely while Nigerians required to deliver outcomes are restricted.
The ADSC founder warned that continued silence on visa access would deepen public frustration, weaken confidence in economic diplomacy, and reinforce perceptions that bilateral agreements serve only elite interests. He added that restrictive mobility policies slow down Nigerians who convert policy into exports, jobs, tourism growth, and foreign investment inflows.
Oluwafemi urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat mobility as a core pillar of Nigeria’s economic statecraft and to mandate the inclusion of visa facilitation clauses as standard annexes to trade deals, aviation agreements, and partnership frameworks. He also called for the publication of measurable delivery indicators for partner countries, including processing timelines and access to multi-entry visas for verified applicants.
“Nigeria has shown momentum in signing agreements,” he said. “The next test is whether Nigerians can access, use, and monetise them.”