840,000 Foreigners Overstayed Visas In Nigeria – Tunji-Ojo

By Tony Enokela

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that more than 840,000 foreign nationals are currently staying in Nigeria beyond the validity of their visas.

He revealed this on Tuesday during a television interview, noting that the figure was uncovered through an upgraded immigration tracking system.

Tunji-Ojo explained that irregular migration in Nigeria is not only about citizens living abroad without proper documents but also involves foreign nationals failing to leave the country when their visas expire.

“As of this morning, through our upgraded system, I can tell you that the number of overstayers we have is about 840,290 visa overstayers in Nigeria. These are citizens of different countries, almost reaching one million,” he said.

The announcement comes amid growing discussions following a migration agreement between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, signed on March 19, which includes three accords aimed at improving bilateral cooperation on migration matters.

The minister said the deal is based on mutual understanding and equal treatment and seeks to establish a proper system for safe, controlled movement of people, while addressing illegal migration, human trafficking, and smuggling.