ASFAAR, A Fully Nigerian Company, Sets Up A World Class Visa Center For Nigerians, Partners FG
Asfaar Travel Services, a visa and tour company aimed at easing visa processing for Nigerians, on Tuesday, 19th August, conducted journalists to a Press Launch and Media tour of its state-of-the-art and world-class Visa Processing facility in Abuja.
While addressing journalists at the event, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ASFAAR, Dr Jamil Hausawi, said the establishment of the center is hinged on easing visa restrictions and challenges being faced by Nigerians while travelling abroad, especially Saudi Arabia, hence the partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighting support gotten from relevant stakeholders such as Office of the Vice President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Dr. Jamil, “sometime in November 2024, the plans for the setting up of the center began, as they visited Saudi Arabia was due to a lot of complaints of visa restrictions and a lot of challenges Nigerians were facing when travelling, especially to
He hinted thus that this partnership led to the development of the center, which will serve as an indigenous digital ecosystem platform that meets international standards, including incorporation with NUSUK, a platform owned by the Saudi Arabian government.
Dr Hausawi said, “The main objective of this initiative is to make existing name registration, the primary tool for any business application, ensuring that applicants are verified as Nigerian citizens responsible for their actions.”
Speaking further, he said that the organsation major aims are to streamline processes, improve transparency, and detect potential issues related to government offices or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Hausawi said, “This platform is just a solution, a complement to all that we have, all that we need,” Dr Hausawi explained.
“As far as you are Nigerians, we try to help, we try to make it simple, transparent, and we will be able to detect any issue related to our principal offices, the Federal Government, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, represented by his Special Assistant on Media and Strategic Communication, Alkasim Abudkadir, said ASFAAR brings in more verification of a traveler’s data, such as their name, address, and character. This, he said, is to address situations where Nigerians all over the world are smeared.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is established to protect the sovereignty of Nigeria as a country where other countries are concerned, and this is one gateway for us to do that.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the protection and well-being of Nigerian citizens abroad, and this partnership is expected to enhance the security and protection of Nigerian travellers.”
Meanwhile, a representative of the Ministry of Justice, Barrister Maculey William, added that the partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ASFAAR is aimed at making it easier in the process of obtaining visas with ease as well as improving the protection of Nigerian citizens abroad.
“The partnership will provide first-class service to Nigerians, and the sharing of revenue will be kept under the Federal Executive Council. How it is being shared is being kept under the Federal Executive Council; they are fully in charge.”
“We check the laws. What we have encountered in the past years was that Nigerians have had a tough time, but with this partnership, we are working to change that.”
With this new system, Williams said Nigerians will now have access to any embassy with ease and their respective cases resolved professionally.
Meanwhile, a tour of the facility by journalists led by the Managing Director shows that it has an admin block, an enrollment center, a waiting lounge, a cafeteria, among others, with all staffing areas manned by Nigerians.
