The Turkish Embassy in Nigeria has denied reports of a visa ban on Nigerian passport holders. Last week, online claims suggested that Ethiopia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates had revoked certain privileges for Nigerian passport holders, such as visa-on-arrival, e-visa, and outright passport issues.
The reports alleged that Turkey no longer allows Nigerian passport holders to obtain its e-visa, which was previously a seamless process.
However, in a conversation with newsmen, Wunmi Evelyn, the Personal Secretary to the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, clarified:
"There is no visa ban on Nigerian passport holders. As is well-known, any updates regarding rules and procedures of the policies and practices of any country are officially notified to the respective foreign ministries, and statements or announcements are issued by the embassies."
She further explained that visa applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, addressing specific instances where applicants faced rejections.
"While every application is considered individually, for an applicant who has previously been denied a visa (if no fraud or forged documents were detected), they should correct any mistakes made in their initial application and improve the quality of their application. Additionally, they should update their documentation and refrain from submitting old versions of required supporting documents," she added.
This clarification comes following the ranking of Nigeria’s passport among the world’s least powerful, according to the Henley Passport Index. In 2023, Nigeria was ranked 90th globally, allowing visa-free admission to only 46 out of 227 destinations.
Nigeria’s passport is the fifth-worst in Africa, tied with South Sudan, and only ahead of Congo, Eritrea, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia.
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