Photo: Twofortnights / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Civil society advocates in Abuja have called on Nigeria to grant visa-free entry to citizens of African Union member states, arguing that restrictive travel rules limit trade, investment and the country’s continental leadership.
Call made at Abuja conference
The proposal was aired on Saturday, 31 October, at the Conference of Freedom Advocates 2026, organised by the Liberalist Centre in Nigeria’s capital.
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During a panel on the case for a visa-free Nigeria, speakers said the country should make African mobility a central part of its economic and foreign-policy strategy. They argued that easier entry would help entrepreneurs, investors, tourists and professionals move across borders, creating gains that could outweigh visa-fee revenues.
The event’s official programme confirms that the conference brought together advocates, journalists, researchers and policy figures to discuss reform, rights, economic opportunity and Africa’s future.
AfCFTA ambitions under scrutiny
Advocates linked their demand to the African Continental Free Trade Area, which aims to deepen commerce across African markets. Their central argument was that a trade agenda cannot fully succeed while people who build businesses, attend meetings and deliver services still face costly or slow border procedures.
They pointed to Kenya and Rwanda as examples of countries that have taken steps to ease entry for other Africans. The group urged Nigeria to prioritise reciprocal arrangements within Africa before considering wider visa liberalisation.
For more context, read DGBN’s coverage of Tanzania Removes Special Visa Clearance Requirement for Nigerian Travellers.
Nigeria already allows visa-free entry for ECOWAS citizens and has some waiver arrangements. But its immigration service states that most other visitors must obtain a visa or qualify through a specific exemption or agreement. Tourist applicants from non-exempt countries are generally required to apply through an e-visa or embassy process and provide supporting documents.
Security debate
The panellists disputed the idea that visas should be Nigeria’s primary security safeguard. They said threats such as banditry, kidnapping and terrorism require stronger border management and intelligence, rather than broad restrictions on legitimate travellers arriving through airports.
They proposed biometric screening and advance passenger information systems at official entry points as more targeted tools. That is an advocacy position, not a government policy announcement.
Nigeria’s government has previously presented visa reform as part of its ease-of-doing-business agenda, including visa-on-arrival measures for African travellers. However, the conference speakers argued that the country has not moved far enough towards a more open continental system.
Why it matters
For Nigerians and the wider Black diaspora, the debate goes beyond airport queues. Free movement affects where young people can study, trade, create, invest and form cross-border partnerships. It also raises a question about whether Africa’s largest economy can match its political weight with practical leadership on integration.
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The call from Abuja does not change Nigeria’s immigration rules. But it places renewed pressure on policymakers to show how the country will turn AfCFTA commitments and Pan-African ambitions into easier movement for African people.