INTERIOR MINISTRY LAUNCHES NEW REFORMS TO BOOST EXPATRIATE ADMINISTRATION, BUSINESS SUPPORT

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced key reforms to streamline expatriate administration and enhance government-private sector collaboration.

A statement by the Ministry’s Director, Press, explains that the Minister unveiled at a stakeholder meeting with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association in Abuja, the Expatriate Support Desk, a new unit within the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to address business permits, expatriate quotas, and other regulatory concerns.

The new Expatriate Administration System (EAS), he says, will enhance transparency, while a Lagos sensitization program will engage the private sector before its rollout.

Other key measures include stricter enforcement of understudy roles for job creation, revised fees for citizenship and business permits effective May 1, and a three-month amnesty for immigration regularization before enforcement begins.

The Minister reaffirmed government’s commitment to balancing national interests with a business-friendly environment.