Founder of the Africa Development Studies Centre (ADSC), Victor Oluwafemi, has said Nigeria’s renewed drive in bilateral agreements, trade instruments and aviation partnerships will fall short unless Nigerians are granted practical visa access to partner countries.
In a statement issued at the weekend, Oluwafemi described the federal government’s diplomatic push as a strategic step in the right direction, but warned that agreements Nigerians cannot access in practice remain weak in the real economy.
“Trade without mobility is a half-win,” he said, noting that Nigerians travelling for business, investment, conferences, education and professional engagements continue to face slow, uncertain and discretionary visa processes in many partner jurisdictions.
According to him, unpredictable timelines, scarce appointments and inconsistent decisions are making it difficult to translate trade promises into transactions, partnerships and measurable outcomes.
“This is not merely a consular concern. It is a competitiveness concern,” Oluwafemi stated.
He argued that trade deals only work when traders can meet buyers and conclude contracts; investment partnerships succeed only when investors can deploy teams and carry out due diligence; and aviation agreements become viable only when passenger access is reliable and predictable.
“Without visa facilitation, Nigeria risks building corridors that look open but function as closed,” he warned.
Oluwafemi called for a clear national standard, insisting that every major bilateral economic agreement must include a reciprocal visa facilitation and mobility protocol focused on delivery rather than ceremony.
He proposed three structured mobility tracks: fast-track visas for official government missions; accelerated, multi-entry visas for verified business executives, exporters and investors; and sector-specific mobility lanes for professionals, creatives, academics and technical experts aligned with bilateral priorities.
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“Nigeria is entitled to reciprocity,” he said, stressing that agreements that allow the movement of capital while restricting the movement of Nigerians create a damaging imbalance.
He cautioned that silence on visa access fuels public frustration, weakens confidence in economic diplomacy and reinforces the perception that bilateral agreements serve elites rather than national interests.
The ADSC founder urged President Bola Tinubu to treat mobility as a core pillar of economic statecraft and mandate visa facilitation clauses as a standard annex to trade deals, aviation arrangements and partnership frameworks.
“Nigeria has shown momentum in signing agreements. The next test is whether Nigerians can access, use and monetise them,” Oluwafemi added.
