The federal government has announced that the implementation of its new electronic visa (e-Visa) system will commence on May 1st, 2025.

The Minister of Interior, Tunji Ojo and his Aviation and Aerospace Development counterpart, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a meeting on implementation and enforcement of immigration protocols.

An electronic visa is a digital form of a visa that allows travellers to obtain travel authorisation online, without the need for a physical visit to an embassy or consulate. It simplifies the visa application process, making it more convenient and faster.

Travelers typically fill out an online application form, upload required documents (like a passport), pay the visa fee, and receive the e-visa via email. The visa is then either printed or stored digitally for presentation upon entry into the destination country.

E-visas are used by many countries and are generally issued for purposes like tourism, business, or transit. They streamline the travel experience by reducing paperwork and wait times.

Tunji-Ojo said: "There is a centralised visa approval centre already at the immigration headquarters. Officers have been trained, well equipped and solution-integrated to all criminal record systems in the world, the major ones in the world, as well as Interpol. And of course, there will be better background checks in terms of people coming into Nigeria.

"We are also looking at removing bottlenecks and making sure people can get visas to Nigeria without lobbying anybody to come into Nigeria.

"We want to open our borders without compromising national security, for people to come and explore the beauty of the land called Nigeria.

"So, we have decided today that we will work together to ensure that there is only one interest that will be protected, and that is the Nigerian interest. And the NCAA and the NIS have agreed that both will set up a mini-team to work together in terms of the implementation framework and the regulations and protocols."