A recent in-depth investigation has uncovered that Nigerians collectively lose more than ₦75 billion each year to non-refundable visa application fees paid to foreign embassies including those of the United States, United Kingdom, Schengen countries, and several others. Despite the enormous financial commitment, over 60 percent of visa applications are rejected, resulting in a continuous cycle of reapplication and financial loss for many individuals.
The analysis revealed that the United States embassy in Nigeria charges a non-refundable fee of ₦299,700 per visa applicant. With a conservative estimate of 300 applicants submitting their requests daily, the embassy generates roughly ₦89.9 million each day. When this figure is projected across the number of working days in a year, it amounts to over ₦21.5 billion accruing from visa applications alone without any guarantee of approval.
The situation is similar at the British High Commission, where standard visa applications cost ₦279,000. Based on a modest estimate of 200 daily applicants, over ₦13.3 billion is raked in annually. This figure does not account for long-term visa categories such as the two-year visa pegged at ₦969,699, the five-year visa costing ₦1.73 million, and the ten-year option priced at ₦2.16 million. An estimated 3,000 Nigerians apply for these extended-duration visas annually, all of which are non-refundable regardless of the outcome.
For Schengen countries, which include France, Italy, Germany, and Spain, visa applications cost around ₦161,015. With thousands of Nigerians applying annually, embassies of Schengen states collectively receive an estimated ₦11.5 billion from visa fees alone. When combined with other destinations such as Canada, India, Malaysia, China, and Indonesia, the total amount Nigerians lose to unsuccessful or unutilized visa applications surpasses ₦75 billion every year.
According to experts, many of these visa rejections are tied to issues such as incomplete documentation, suspicion of immigration intent, or inconsistencies in the applicants’ travel histories. Nonetheless, the financial burden rests squarely on the shoulders of applicants, as embassies rarely offer refunds regardless of the reason for denial.
Commenting on the trend, a travel consultant expressed concern over what has become a growing culture among Nigerians seeking visas not necessarily for travel but for social validation. “There’s a disturbing pattern where individuals apply for visas just to boast or compete with peers and relatives. It has become a status symbol more than a genuine travel need in many cases,” the consultant said.
However, not all visa applicants fall into this category. Travel professionals like Mrs. Shalom Asuquo, Managing Director of Travel Lab Nigeria Limited, argue that a significant number of applicants genuinely seek to travel for essential reasons including business, education, tourism, medical care, or religious purposes. She pointed out that countries such as Germany, Switzerland, France, and Denmark remain attractive to Nigerians for their industries in fashion, aviation, technology, and international conferences.
Despite the legitimacy of many applications, Nigerian passport holders continue to face some of the most stringent visa requirements globally. Experts attribute this to the high volume of applications from Nigeria, rising instances of visa overstays, and asylum requests particularly among the youth demographic. The increasing demand has also led to higher visa processing fees and stricter screening by foreign embassies.
The ongoing wave of emigration, commonly referred to as ‘Japa’ a Yoruba word meaning “to escape” has gained momentum in recent years. Data obtained from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) shows that the number of Nigerians with National Identification Numbers (NINs) living abroad surged by over 563 percent in just one year from 55,181 in February 2022 to 366,164 by February 2023.
Similarly, figures from the Nigerian Immigration Service’s Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) show that 2,115,139 Nigerians left the country in 2022. Between January and September 2023 alone, another 1,574,357 emigrated, bringing the two-year total to over 3.6 million citizens.
This unprecedented wave of migration is largely driven by worsening economic conditions, insecurity, youth unemployment, and growing disenchantment with the country’s political leadership. The situation has created a strong desire among Nigerians, particularly the youth, to seek better living conditions abroad even at high personal and financial costs.
Policy analysts warn that unless urgent and comprehensive measures are taken to revive the economy, improve national security, and restore public confidence in governance, the exodus will persist. The corresponding financial losses, including billions in visa application fees paid to foreign missions with little or no returns, will also continue to drain the country’s economy.
“The only real solution is for government at all levels to restore hope. People are not just leaving for fun they’re fleeing hardship and uncertainty,” one policy expert remarked. “Until young Nigerians see a real future here, they’ll keep paying whatever it takes to try and leave.”
