Market News
Nigeria automates expatriate permit process to boost efficiency, curb graft - REUTERS
LAGOS, April 22 (Reuters) - Nigeria will fully automate its expatriate residence permit process from May 1, a move aimed at significantly speeding up approvals and reducing opportunities for corruption, the Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said.
Critics say the current system for obtaining the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Cards (CERPAC) - the mandatory identification and residency document for foreigners working or living in Nigeria, is slow and susceptible to abuse.
Previously, applicants for residence in Africa's most populous country and energy producer faced a cumbersome process involving visits to banks, physical form purchases, and manual document submissions.
Tunji-Ojo clarified in a post on X that the government was not increasing application fees but rather streamlining the application and payment systems through automation.
During a meeting with business leaders in Lagos last week, Tunji-Ojo said: "The era of going to the bank, buying forms, and physically submitting documents applying for CERPAC is over.
"Everything will be processed online, with QR-coded digital copies and backend integration with security systems to verify criminal records and immigration history."
