Enugu State government, yesterday, said that the United Kingdom (UK) government has approved a visa centre for the state to facilitate visa applications by residents of the South East region.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, who hinted at this, said that the centre would strengthen ties between the state, Nigeria and the UK.
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Onyia recalled that the visa centre was part of Governor Peter Mbah’s requests during the visit of the UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, to the Government House, Enugu, in June this year.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo also made similar requests when the High Commissioner visited its national secretariat in Enugu last June.
Onyia further disclosed that the government received the news of the visa centre with delight and satisfaction, stressing that it would further enhance economic partnership and cultural exchanges between the state and UK.
He said: “The Enugu State government, therefore, looks forward to a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with the UK, as the visa centre would help cement the relationship.”
The state government called on the people, especially those residing in the South East to avail themselves of the opportunity provided to file their visa applications in the state, saying the state government would ensure improved security both to residents and visitors carrying out their businesses in the state.
Similarly, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has lauded the British High Commission and the UK Government for granting the request of its President General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, for the establishment of a visa office in Enugu for the South East region of Nigeria.
Iwuanyanwu had made the request during a courtesy visit of the British High Commissioner at the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze in Enugu on June 27, 2023.
Iwuanyanwu had, during the visit, emphasised that the region accounted for over 60 per cent of Nigerians traveling to the UK on a daily basis.
He had questioned the rationale and the unfairness of subjecting the Igbo to the inconvenience of traveling to Abuja or Lagos to obtain their UK visas.