The Turkish Embassy in Nigeria has refuted rumors that have caused worry to many.
The embassy in a recent reaction confirmed that Nigerian passport holders are not prohibited from obtaining visas.
This came after reports that Ethiopia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates had revoked certain privileges for Nigerian passport holders, such as visa-on-arrival, e-visa, and outright passport issues.
Specifically, Nigerian passport holders are no longer able to easily obtain Turkey’s e-visa; this was a straightforward process before.
Despite these modifications, Hidayet Bayraktar, the Turkish ambassador to Nigeria, made it clear that Nigerian passport holders are not prohibited from obtaining visas.
She said,
Visa applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, the secretary explained, addressing specific instances where applicants faced rejections.
Bayraktar added,
This clarification came following the ranking of Nigeriaâs passport among the worldâs least powerful, according to the Henley Passport Index.
In 2023, Nigeria was ranked 90th globally, allowing visa-free admission to only 46 out of 227 destinations.
Despite being Africaâs largest economy, Nigeriaâs passport is the fifth-worst in Africa, tied with South Sudan, and only ahead of Congo, Eritrea, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia.
When The Punch contacted the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Eche Abu-Ode on the issue, he said, âI will confirm and revert.â
TimesNow.com.ng reported that the federal government has disclosed that the prohibition on Nigerian nationals obtaining visas to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been resolved.
Although the announcement has yet to be made, Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, said it will be made public shortly.
He made this statement on Wednesday, May 22, in response to criticism from Osita Chidoka, the former minister of aviation, on his X account.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
