Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, has assured Nigerians that the Ministry is coming up with a comprehensive review of migration and visa policies with the support of key stakeholders in the country aimed at easing all the processes for Nigerians both home and abroad.
Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said the Minister gave the assurance on Tuesday when he received the Chairman/CEO, of NIDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on a courtesy visit.
Tunji-Ojo said the ministry is worried about some lopsidedness in some migration, and visa policies which tend to make Nigeria a dumping ground.
The Minister said that the review would take cognisance of the principle of reciprocity in line with international standards.
Tunji-Ojo applauded the efforts of the Commission through the proactive nature of the Chairman, saying NIDCOM had more to offer in the area of welfare for Nigerians in the Diaspora and creating a positive image for the country abroad.
The Minister, however, shared his concerns about the general challenges with passport processing, capturing and collection.. assuming that everything possible would be done to make the process more efficient.
Earlier, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa advocated for a more effective passport-capturing and collection process for Nigerians living abroad.
Dabiri-Erewa, solicited a working collaboration with the Ministry while rolling out some of the activities of the Commission since its inception.
The NIDCOM boss said there was an urgent need for collaboration and the creation of a structural platform to address complex diaspora issues that require coordinated efforts from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies.