Kenya has announced that it will allow citizens from nearly all African nations to travel without the need for prior authorization.
This decision stems from a new directive issued by the cabinet on Friday, January 24.
According to BBC, the cabinet's statement indicated that the requirement for Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) will be eliminated for all African countries, with the exception of Somalia and Libya, due to security concerns.
Under this updated framework, citizens from most African countries will be granted visa-free entry for a duration of up to two months. Furthermore, individuals from the East African Community-comprising Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi-will be allowed to remain for up to six months in accordance with the community's regulations.
While a specific timeline for the implementation of this policy has not been established, Kenya intends to roll out an improved system that will facilitate instant travel approval, with a maximum processing time of 72 hours.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that all visa applications will be transitioned to an online platform by March 1 at the latest.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, shared this update on Monday during an appearance on 'X Spaces', hosted by influencer Dr. Segun Awosanya.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the government has also established a centralized visa approval centre, aimed at streamlining the visa process, ensuring uniformity, enhancing national security, and combating corruption.
"The visa approval centre is also an achievement for this administration because we also now have a centralised visa approval centre.
"This will stem corruption, ensure national security, and merge the visa regime to ensure uniformity. Before March 1st, all visa application systems will be online to ensure proper vetting," he stated.
The Minister also highlighted the establishment of a harmonized data centre located at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC) at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) headquarters in Sauka, Abuja.
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