Uganda minister ask Nigeria to review visa regime

The Uganda Minister of Works and Transport, Katumba Wamala, has called on the Nigerian government to review the visa regime between the two nations to promote inter-Africa connectivity.

The minister, who spoke at the inaugural launch of the Nigeria-Uganda Business Forum over the weekend in Abuja, applauded the Nigerian government for signing up to the Single Africa Air Transport Market but said the visas are still expensive and represent a significant barrier to travel.

“For instance, a Ugandan needs to pay about $200 to acquire a visa to Nigeria. This, on average, represents 2-4 bed nights for someone wishing to visit and explore new places in Nigeria. Without the visa fee, this money can still enter our respective economies due to increased travel and business.

“Therefore, we request you, Hon Minister, to review the visa regime between our respective nations to promote inter-Africa connectivity,” he appealed.

While noting the commencement of direct flights from Uganda to Lagos and Abuja, Wamala said there is an urgent need to address the huge connectivity gaps that still plague the African continent.

He pointed out that a study on underserved markets, recently published by Airbus, spotlighted West Africa as one of the most underserved markets by air services in Africa, saying the study exposed an existing air connectivity gap between East Africa and Abuja, as there has been no direct air service between the capitals of the East African Community and Abuja.

He said that because of this gap, travellers between Abuja and East Africa have been transiting through other airports, which is costly in terms of money and time, and that the direct service by Uganda Airlines will partially address this challenge.

“In less than five hours, someone will be able to travel from West to East Africa, thereby making travel easier for our respective people for business, tourism, and leisure,” he stressed.

The minister further stressed the need to improve visitor facilitation processes in order to fully harness the potential for travel by Africans within Africa.

He pointed out that the commencement of flights has opened a gateway for the people of Abuja and Nigeria, in general, to travel through the Entebbe hub to other parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, and therefore called on Nigerians to harness these opportunities and further develop cultural exchanges.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Anite, in her address, also noted that the direct flight will unlock the economic potential between the two countries, reduce travel time, increase efficiency, and foster greater collaboration between businesses.

It will also enable them to tap into new markets, access new customers, and explore new opportunities that abound in the two countries.

She further noted that the volume of trade between Nigeria and Uganda has been fluctuating over the past few years.

In 2022, Nigeria exported $471,000 worth of goods to Uganda, such as soap, alcohol, and synthetic filament, while on the other hand, Uganda exported $4.61 million worth of goods to Nigeria, including raw tobacco, packaged medicaments, and asbestos fibres.

While wooing investors into the country, the Minister revealed that to encourage private capital inflow, the ministry has packaged some trade benefits, including 100% ownership of investment by any investor, free transfer of capital (funds) through an authorised dealer in freely convertible currency of profits, grant of Pioneer Status, 0% import duty on agricultural equipment and machinery, rural investment allowance where no basic facilities like water or electricity are provided, 95% capital allowance for companies engaged in wholly agricultural activities, exemption from Value Added Tax (VAT), among other incentives.