Nigerian billionaire and Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote has raised concerns about the challenges Africans face when traveling within the continent.
He highlighted that despite significant economic contributions and investments in various African countries, he often encounters difficulties obtaining visas for his travels across the continent.
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Dangote’s criticism points to a broader issue of restrictive visa policies within African nations.
He compared this with the relative ease with which non-Africans can move across the continent, pointing out a paradox where individuals from outside Africa experience fewer bureaucratic hurdles than Africans themselves.
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At the Africa CEO Forum, CNN Africa Correspondent Larry Madowo voiced his frustration over the high costs associated with obtaining a visa to visit Nigeria in 2024.
Nigeria Hefty Visa Charges
He highlighted that for a one-month, single-entry visa, he had to pay a total of $215 (Ksh27,950).
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Madowo questioned the necessity of these charges, particularly the $170 (Ksh22,100) biometric fees, pointing out that his fingerprints had not changed since his previous visits.
He detailed the breakdown of the costs: while the visa itself is priced at $25 (Ksh3,250), there is an additional $20 (Ksh2,600) processing fee, and the $170 biometric fee, which he considered redundant.
Madowo criticized these extra charges as unnecessary and burdensome for travelers.
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In response to Larry Madowo’s concerns, Aliko Dangote mentioned that the issue had reached Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
According to Dangote, President Tinubu was not pleased with the current visa charges and had ordered a review.
Dangote assured that the visa charges would be adjusted to make them more reasonable and easier to obtain.
He promised that the exorbitant fees would be addressed, and changes would be implemented soon to facilitate smoother and more affordable travel to Nigeria.
Ruto Weighs in on Kenya’s ETA Visa Charges
During the Africa CEO Forum held in Rwanda, Larry Madowo also addressed this issue with President William Ruto.
Madowo pointed out that Kenya’s introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has made visiting the country more difficult for some.
President Ruto in response emphasized that Kenya has now adopted a visa-free policy, where visitors only need to pay a $30 fee online, eliminating the need to visit physical offices.
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This, according to Ruto, saves both time and money for travelers.
In 2021, inbound visitor numbers to Africa increased by nearly 15 percent over the previous year.
This figure was relatively low compared to the yearly growth of 2022, which was estimated at 88.5 percent.
Nevertheless, from 2021 onward the number of inbound tourists grows significantly again, and it is forecast to reach 16.1 percent by 2025.
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