Nigeria and Canada are strengthening bilateral cooperation on migration management, visa processing and air transport, with both countries agreeing to deepen institutional engagement on issues affecting citizens of both nations.
The development followed a meeting between the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Canadian High Commission, David Sproule, during a courtesy visit to the Ministry.
A major issue raised during the meeting was the prolonged processing time for Canadian visa applications submitted by Nigerians, particularly students.
Ajani expressed concern over the delays and urged the Canadian authorities to expedite the consideration of visa applications, noting that timely processing was important to maintaining strong people-to-people and bilateral relations.
She said, “Nigeria remains committed to strengthening its bilateral relations with Canada, and we urge the Canadian authorities to give expeditious consideration to visa applications submitted by Nigerians.”
The Permanent Secretary stressed the need for both countries to maintain open channels of communication to address challenges affecting Nigerians travelling to Canada and Canadians visiting Nigeria.
She noted that improved cooperation between relevant institutions would help resolve migration-related issues while ensuring that legitimate travellers were able to move between both countries with fewer difficulties.
Visa processing was also identified as an important area requiring continued engagement, particularly given the number of Nigerians travelling to Canada for education, business and other legitimate purposes.
Responding to the concerns, Sproule acknowledged the delays in visa processing as an important pressure point in the Nigeria-Canada bilateral relationship.
He assured the Nigerian government that the concerns raised by Ajani would be communicated to the relevant Canadian immigration authorities for consideration.
“Visa delays are an important pressure point in our bilateral relationship,” Sproule acknowledged, assuring that Nigeria’s concerns would be conveyed to the appropriate authorities.
The meeting also considered the expansion of the Nigeria-Canada Air Transport Agreement, with both sides looking at ways to improve air connectivity between the two countries.
The proposed expansion is expected to facilitate direct flights between Nigeria and Canada, make travel more convenient for citizens and strengthen commercial and economic ties.
Improved air connectivity is also expected to support greater movement of students, business people, tourists and other travellers while creating opportunities for stronger economic exchanges between the two countries.
Migration management formed another major part of the discussions, particularly the handling of persons who no longer have legal status in Canada.
The two sides discussed the development of a Standard Operating Procedure between relevant Nigerian authorities and the Canada Border Services Agency to guide the removal of persons without legal status in Canada.
The proposed procedure is expected to provide a clearer framework for cooperation between both countries and strengthen institutional coordination in handling migration matters.
Both sides agreed that sustained engagement between relevant government agencies would be necessary to address emerging migration issues and improve cooperation.
To this end, Nigeria and Canada agreed to establish a technical working group that will continue discussions on the issues raised during the meeting and work towards strengthening institutional cooperation.
The working group is expected to provide a platform for both sides to address visa processing concerns, migration management and other areas of mutual interest.
Ajani reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to work closely with the Canadian authorities to strengthen the existing relationship between both countries.
She emphasised the importance of practical cooperation that would deliver better outcomes for citizens and institutions on both sides.
The Permanent Secretary’s call for faster visa processing comes amid growing movement between Nigeria and Canada for education, business, family and other legitimate purposes.
Both countries are expected to sustain consultations as they work towards improving migration cooperation, facilitating legitimate travel and strengthening air and commercial links.
The establishment of the technical working group is expected to provide a structured mechanism for addressing outstanding issues and ensuring that discussions between Nigeria and Canada translate into concrete actions.
The engagement further underscored the commitment of both countries to maintaining a strong bilateral relationship while addressing challenges that affect citizens and institutions.