Plans have reached an advanced stage for the South African embassy in Nigeria to commence issuance of 10 years visas to Nigerian entrepreneurs and aviation practitioners.
This is as total trade volume between Nigeria and South Africa was estimated at $3 billion in 2022.
Speaking at the South Africa Consulate/Aviators Africa Aviation Stakeholders Engagement hosted by Radisson Blu in Lagos over the weekend, Dr. Bobby Moroe, the Consul General, South Africa Embassy in Lagos, said that the 10 years visa when it comes onboard, would replace the multiple three months visas issued to Nigerians by the South African government.
Moroe explained that the Nigerian business environment was very vast and it would be inappropriate to continue to issue only three months visas to citizens of the country, especially those who transact business regularly between the two countries.
He explained that the approval of a 10 years visa period for Nigerians would aid business, human resources, training and tourism expansion between the two countries, stressing that rather for the two countries to compete, it was necessary for them to collaborate to move the continent forward.
He emphasised that the opportunity offered by the stakeholders’ engagement would enable participants to address some grey areas in the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa, maintaining that it was necessary for aviation practitioners in the country to leverage on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the governments of the two countries to move the sector forward.
He said: “The South African governmenthasdecidedthatfor the entire continent, especially for Nigerians, we should start issuing10-yearvisastoinvestors and aviation practitioners. The Nigeria business sector is very vast and business and tourism sectors are intertwined
“The issuance of 10-year visas to Nigerians would aid business, training programmes in South Africa and it is also in exchange of human resources between the two countries. We are here to put our heads together, exchange ideas on how we can innovate in the aviation industry. We should not limit ourselves to issuance of visas alone.
“Aviation industry has been neglected for several years and some of us still look at it as elitist, which is wrong. Aviation is a huge sector, which has been undermined over the years. We must not be myopic about the sector, rather we should look at the opportunities in it.”
Moroe further lamented that despite the 29 years diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and South Africa, the two countries had signed several agreements, but failed to implement most of them.
Also, Mr. Greg Munyai, Trade and Investment, South Africa High Commission in Nigeria, said that the total trade volume between Nigeria and South Africa stood at $3 billion as at 2022.
According to him, this was too little as both countries could do more to improve their business relationship.
He insisted that business between the two countries was lopsided as South Africa carried out more business transactions than Nigeria.
In order to balance the volume, he said it was necessary for players in the aviation sector in the two countries to look critically at the opportunities in the sector.
He said: “The total trade between Nigeria and South Africa was $3 billion. The amount may look big, but it is too little. South Africa remains number six in trade partners of Nigeria. We buy a lot of oil in Nigeria, but as it is, we are working hard to increase the product mix between the two countries.
“The biggest contributor to the two economies is service. From the South Africa point of view, the aviation industry has been taken seriously as we have a master plan for the sector.”
Earlier, Mr. Tony Ukachukwu, the chief host of the stakeholders’ meeting, said that the essence of the gathering was for Nigeria to form collaboration with South Africa.
Ukachukwu explained that the conveners wanted to facilitate business transactions between the two countries with focus on aviation industry development.
Source: independent.ng