The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has suspended the collection of $90 biometric Visa-On- Arrival policy it introduced about two weeks ago at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The policy had sparked controversy and protest by some incoming passengers – who without prior knowledge of the policy – refused to pay the $90 to the NIS.
The introduction of the charges also caused chaos at the MMIA terminal especially in situations where the NIS officials had to delay some of the passengers on arrival at the airport for refusing to pay the money. Most of the dissenting passengers had faulted the NIS for introducing the $90 biometric visa on arrival as well as an additional $20 as processing fee for foreigners who were entering the country in spite of the fact that such passengers had already paid for visas from
their respective countries. Daily Sun learnt yesterday that the biometric, which came on stream on June 12, was only implemented for two days, but had been suspended following complaints from some of the travellers who protested the lack of publicity prior to the commencement of the new policy.
Immigration sources told Daily Sun that the biometric Visa-On-Arrival charges was however being handled by Online Integrated Service (OIS), while the process charges is handled by New Works Limited.
The source explained that the biometric charges were introduced as a reciprocity given that some countries around the world were already charging Nigerians such fees upon entering their countries.
Some the notable countries with biometric charges on Nigerian travellers include the United Kingdom, United States of America, South Africa, Kenya and China among others.
