By Sulyman Gobir
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Canada on migration management, air transport, visa processing and other areas of mutual interest.
The commitment was reiterated when the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, representing the Minister, received the Chargé d’Affaires of the Canadian High Commission, David Sproule, and his delegation during a courtesy visit to the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting focused on concerns over delays in the processing of Canadian visa applications by Nigerians, particularly students, as well as opportunities arising from the expansion of the Nigeria-Canada Air Transport Agreement.
Dr. Ajani said prolonged visa processing times had affected Nigerian applicants, noting that some students had been unable to travel to Canada to begin their academic programmes despite having their visa applications approved, due to delays in the issuance of study permits.
The Permanent Secretary assured the Canadian delegation that Nigeria would designate appropriate officials to engage with their Canadian counterparts and support the establishment of a joint working group to advance the process.
In his remarks, Sproule acknowledged Nigeria’s concerns over visa processing delays, describing the issue as an important pressure point in the bilateral relationship.
He assured the Nigerian side that the concerns would be communicated to the relevant Canadian immigration authorities, with a view to improving processing times and ensuring that Nigeria receives appropriate attention within the visa-processing system.
Both countries agreed to establish a technical working group to drive discussions and ensure regular engagement among relevant agencies.
Sproule commended the Ministry for its openness and welcomed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening institutional cooperation.
Dr. Ajani, in turn, thanked the Canadian delegation for the visit and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s determination to deepen cooperation with Canada on immigration, travel facilitation and border management.
She also urged the Canadian authorities to give due and expeditious consideration to concerns raised by Nigerian visa applicants.
GOBIR/PRLS
