Spirits are high as plans for the South African embassy in Nigeria to commence issuance of 10 years visas to Nigerian entrepreneurs and aviation practitioners have reached an advanced stage. This is as total trade volume between Nigeria and South Africa was estimated at $3 billion in 2022.
Speaking at the South Africa Consulate/Aviators Africa Aviation Stakeholders Engagement hosted in Radisson Blu in Lagos over the weekend, Dr. Bobby Moroe, the Consul General, South Africa Embassy in Lagos, said that the 10 years visa will replace the multiple three months visas issued to Nigerians by the South African government.
Moroe said that the Nigerian business environment was very vast and it will not be right to continue to issue only three months visas to citizens of the country, especially those who transact business regularly between the two countries.
He explained that the approval of a 10 years visa for Nigerians will aid business, human resources, training and tourism expansion between the two countries, and that instead of the two countries to compete, it was necessary for them to work together to move both their countries and continent forward.
He further said that the opportunity offered by the stakeholders’ engagement will enable participants to address some grey areas in the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa, adding that it is necessary for aviation practitioners in the country to leverage on this memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the governments of the two countries in order to move the sector forward.
He said: “The South African government has decided that for the entire continent, especially for Nigerians, we should start issuing 10-year visas to investors and aviation practitioners. The Nigeria business sector is very vast and business and tourism sectors are intertwined.
“The issuance of 10-year visas to Nigerians would aid business, and training programmes in South Africa. And it is also in exchange of human resources between the two countries. We are here to put our heads together, exchange ideas on how we can innovate in the aviation industry. We should not limit ourselves to issuance of visas alone.
“Aviation industry has been neglected for several years and some of us still look at it as elitist; which is wrong. Aviation is a huge sector which, has been undermined over the years. We must not be myopic about the sector, rather we should look at the opportunities in it.”
Moroe lamented that despite the 29 years diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and South Africa, the two countries had signed several agreements, but still did not implement most of them.
Also, Mr. Greg Munyai, Trade and Investment, South Africa High Commission in Nigeria, said that the total trade volume between Nigeria and South Africa is currently at $3 billion as at 2022. According to him, this is too small as both countries can do a lot more to improve their business relationship. He maintained that business between the two countries was lopsided as South Africa carried out more business transactions than Nigeria.
In order to balance the volume, he said it was necessary for players in the aviation sector in the two countries to critically look into the sector for opportunities and leverage on them.
He said: “The total trade between Nigeria and South Africa was $3 billion. The amount may look big, but it is too little. South Africa remains number six in trade partners of Nigeria. We buy a lot of oil in Nigeria, but as it is, we are working hard to increase the product mix between the two countries.
“The biggest contributor to the two economies is service. From the South Africa point of view, the aviation industry has been taken seriously as we have a master plan for the sector.”
Earlier, Mr. Tony Ukachukwu, the chief host of the stakeholders’ meeting, said that the essence of the gathering was for Nigeria to form a strong collaboration with South Africa. He further explained that the conveners goal is to facilitate business transactions between the two countries with focus on the development of the aviation industry.
