BY: Ajibola Osungbohun
Introduction
Recently, FactCheckAfrica received a claim from a reliable source that Nigerians are not allowed into the country.
The information violated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 which states that “everyone has the right to enter and remain in any country they lawfully enter as well as the right to leave any country, including their own.”
Given the reputation of both countries and the need to ascertain the veracity of the claim, FactCheckAfrica decided to carry out this report.
Bilateral Relationships of Indonesia and Nigeria, What You Should Know
Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation and third largest democracy, comprising the largest archipelago and located in a vast arc between the Indian Ocean and the China Sea, astride vital sea lanes in Southeast Asia. With more than 245 million inhabitants and comprising over 17,000 islands, Indonesia is critical to regional stability and progress in Southeast Asia.
On the other hand, Nigeria is a country in West Africa that stands out as the most powerful economy on the continent. With a GDP estimated at $477 billion in 2022, Nigeria is at the top of the ranking of the richest African countries, ahead of Egypt and South Africa.
However, Indonesia-Nigeria bilateral relations are better understood within the context of South-South relations, which argues for the need for developing countries to work together for a common goal to foster development. Bi-lateral relations between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Indonesia date back to 1965, when Indonesia opened its first diplomatic mission in SubSaharan Africa in Lagos Nigeria.
Nigeria reciprocated in 1976 by opening a diplomatic mission in Jakarta. Since then, Nigeria-Indonesia has enjoyed fruitful diplomatic and economic relations. Both countries are members of Developing Countries,World Trade Organization, Non-Aligned Movement.
Furthermore, both countries have had several exchanges of high-profile visits which culminated in the endorsement of some Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs). Some of such high-profile visits include those by the host’s former President Abdurrahman Wahid in 2001, reciprocated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria in 2001, 2005 and 2006, respectively.
Nigeria is Indonesia’s second-largest trade partner in Africa after South Africa. The volume of trade between Nigeria and Indonesia increased from US$3.18 billion in 2012 to about US$4 billion in 2014.
According to a Vislist, the Indonesia tourist visa application process for Nigerian citizens is quick and easy, as long as the necessary documents and information are provided accurately.
It was noted by the platform that after following some steps, Nigerian citizens can ensure a smooth and hassle-free process for obtaining an Indonesia tourist visa. It is advisable to apply for the visa well in advance of the intended travel date to ensure that there is enough time for processing and to avoid any unexpected issues.
The Indonesian government may reject applications for a variety of reasons, including providing inaccurate information, not meeting the requirements, or having a criminal record. In such cases, the applicant will need to reapply and pay the visa fee again.
History of any ban on Nigerians by Indonesia
The researcher using Yandex, a digital verification tool, saw some information on why Indonesia restricted Nigerians from entering into her country.
The search revealed several reasons:
The Indonesian government has announced a ban on travellers from Nigeria and seven other African countries following concerns over the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, which can be said to be the major cause of the restriction of Nigerians into Indonesia.
Additionally, it was also seen that there have not been good relationship ties among Nigeria and Indonesia for a while. For instance, the execution of Nigerians, assault of a Nigerian diplomat based in Jakarta in Indonesia.
The researcher gathered that House of Representatives responded to issues of maltreatment of Nigerians in Indonesia by mandating its Committees on Diaspora, Foreign Affairs, and other relevant committees to investigate the allegations. This was as the House adopted a motion on the urgent Need to Address the Violation of Human Rights and Unfair Treatment of Nigerians in Indonesia, which they later apologized.
Verification
FactCheckAfrica found Visa Indonesia which published that “Unfortunately, with a passport from Nigeria, you are not able to get a Visa On Arrival at the airport when arriving in Indonesia.”
“Nigerians cannot apply for an e-VOA (electronic Visa On Arrival) online before flying to Indonesia. You can see the list of countries eligible for e-VOA here. Nigerian passports are not eligible to apply for a B211A visit visa for Indonesia,” it reads.
Furthermore, we also found that Nigerians are restricted from entering Indonesia at the moment, according to Bali Visa Regulations for Indonesia.
A more robust corroborating investigation was carried out on the official immigration website of the Indonesian government to determine if Nigeria is not listed.
We clicked on the ‘please choose your country’ which you see above, and this is what we got, following the alphabetical order of letters, Nigeria should come before North Macedonia but not found there
Conclusion
Our findings show that the Indonesian government has restricted Nigerians from coming into her country. Hence, the claim is true.
Editor’s Note: FactCheckAfrica published this work as part of its Media Literacy Project. Opinions represent author’s views.
