The sudden discontinuation of the drop box service was a painful surprise for thousands of Nigerians who wanted to renew their U.S. visas without any hassles.
Concerns and annoyance among travelers were raised when the drop box option, which was once a simple procedure that permitted qualified applicants to renew visas without an in-person interview, was covertly eliminated over the weekend.
The Federal Government is now intervening. Nigerians have been given the assurance that diplomatic measures will be taken to resolve the issue by Oluwole Oke, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Oke stated on Tuesday that he would personally speak with U.S. and Nigerian officials to get clarification on the situation in an interview with Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
Currently in the United States, I shall address this issue. Following my talks in New York, I’ll travel to Washington to talk with our chargé d’affaires and other pertinent parties,” Oke said.
Many Nigerians view the suspension as a blow, while Oke played down the decision, highlighting the importance of reciprocity in diplomatic relations. The U.S. government had the authority to change its visa regulations, he said, just as Nigeria does.
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This situation is not urgent. Nigerians were free to choose how they wanted to use the drop box system in the United States. Remarkably, when it comes to renewing their Nigerian visas, Americans are not granted the same luxury by Nigeria.
American citizens were only given one-year Nigerian visas for years, but Nigerians were given two-year visas. Oke pointed out that Nigeria didn’t change its policies to match the U.S. until President Bola Ahmed Tinubu joined office, which is when Americans were initially granted five-year visas.
It is regrettable that they made this choice. “I contacted the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and he confirmed that there was no official communication from the U.S. about the change,” he continued.
Given Nigeria’s importance on the international scene, Oke expressed hope that the U.S. government would reevaluate some of its policies that impact Nigerian tourists in spite of the setback.
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One of the major actors in world politics is Nigeria. No nation can afford to disregard us. We are a great asset, I assure you. Global attention is on us, and I think constructive diplomatic efforts will pay off.
Most people said that the drop box approach made renewing a visa easier, especially for people who had recently traveled to the United States. The decision to suspend it and make all applicants, including those renewing their visas, attend in-person interviews might result in longer wait times and make travel more difficult for many Nigerians.
