Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada Amb. Adeyinka Asekun says the host country is unfairly denying a lot of Nigerians visas, including students. Asekun stated this during a webinar on Nigeria’s 60th Independence Anniversary organised by the mission on Thursday evening. However, he expects the issue would be addressed in the draft bilateral agreement, which both countries have been working on, for better treatment of Nigerians in that regard. “Canada and Nigeria have for some time been working on a draft agreement that addresses a number of areas of mutual concern to both countries.
It is our further hope that a video conference call may be set up next spring latest to finalise the terms of this agreement. What is most important about this agreement is that it is likely to address a situation in which a lot of Nigerian citizens are being denied visas when they should actually have been granted the visas.
“We are looking for a situation in which the process will become much fairer and much more predictable. And there are provisions in this agreement which will make it possible for us to get much better treatment,” he said.
According to the envoy, many Nigerians are eager to study in Canada, but are denied the opportunity, and he hopes the situation would change when the agreement comes into effect.