Nigerian Govt. May Issue Visa to Passengers at Lagos Airport

Murtala  Mohammed International Airport, Lagos

By Chinedu Eze

There are indications that the Federal Government might introduce the issuance of visa to passengers who are transiting from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos to other African countries, which would enable them move freely until they board their flights to their final destinations.

If this is done, it would promote Lagos airport as hub for West and Central Africa and it would enhance the market of Nigerian carriers, which presently dominate these destinations. In addition to that, it would generate huge revenue for the Federal Government while attracting passengers from the sub region who presently connect their flights in Europe.

According to a senior Immigration official at the Lagos airport, what is presently obtained is that passengers destined for ECOWAS countries are not given visas but their movement is restricted at the airport, which limits their freedom to shop and spend money.

But if issued transit visas, such passengers could move around, shop and sightsee before boarding their flights.

Countries that have developed hub destinations in Africa like Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, and Algeria, have adopted this policy which has significantly expanded their passenger market; as such barriers and bureaucracy of obtaining visa at embassies for regular travellers have been eliminated at the airports.

It has also enhanced their major airports, which are used as hub, as passengers easily connect their flights to other destinations.
Industry expert and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe, said that the Lagos airport also needs transit lounge, which would serve as rendezvous for transiting passengers, noting that this was necessary because it is the basic facility for any airport that operates as hub to other destinations.

Also, travel expert and organiser of Akwaaba Travel Market, Ikechi Ukoh, who acknowledged the importance of transit visa, noted that transit visa alone cannot grow a hub.

He pointed out that there should be availability of aviation fuel at relatively lower price and fares should also not be exorbitant.
“I thought initially when we were presenting the argument of the transit visa that the transit visa is a magic bullet that could make Lagos a hub, there are 15 countries in West Africa, most of them don’t have airlines and they depend completely on foreign carriers.
“If you are going to Burkina Faso from Lagos, you will pay $200.

That is exorbitant; so in a situation where Nigeria provides most of the air transport in West Africa, it is only natural that Lagos becomes the hub. “What needs to be done is that aviation fuel should be made available and the price is relatively low. Then there should be easy cargo business environment and easy access to visa and transit passage,” he advised.

Ukoh remarked that if these three factors were in place, it would be natural for the Lagos airport to become a hub.
“But as at today it is very difficult to transfer passengers. The Lagos price environment is high so people prefer to go Accra to buy fuel. What of cargo; how is it being managed?

“You either have a cargo hub, managing what you are carrying in the belly of the plane or you have a passenger hub, managing the people inside the plane, but in Lagos, we are efficient in managing the people inside the plane; we also lack the efficiency to manage the things under neat and we also lack the efficiency to manage the plane itself.

“Why will people fly to Accra to go and buy fuel? Even Nigerian carriers go to Accra to buy fuel so automatically Accra becomes the hub,” he added.

Culled from : Thisday Newspaper