ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Government of Canada have agreed to establish a joint technical working group to resolve persistent delays in processing Canadian visa applications for Nigerians and to develop a framework for removing individuals without legal status.
Okay News reports that Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani, met with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Canadian High Commission, David Sproule, in Abuja on September 7, 2026, to deliberate on processing backlogs and opportunities under the expanding Nigeria-Canada Air Transport Agreement. Mary Ali, Head of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Interior, disclosed the details of the meeting in an official statement issued on September 7, 2026.
Representing Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Dr Magdalene Ajani stated that prolonged visa processing times had affected Nigerian citizens, including students who were unable to travel to Canada to begin their academic programmes due to delays in study permit issuances following visa approvals. The discussions also covered the expansion of the bilateral Air Transport Agreement, which aims to establish direct flights between Nigeria and Canada to eliminate layovers in Europe or the United States.
Regarding migration management, the two parties addressed the creation of a Standard Operating Procedure between Nigerian authorities and the Canada Border Services Agency to govern the removal of persons lacking legal status in Canada. Dr Magdalene Ajani assured the Canadian delegation that Nigeria would designate relevant officials to collaborate with Canadian counterparts to facilitate the joint technical working group.
“Sproule acknowledged concerns over visa processing delays, describing the issue as an important pressure point in the bilateral relationship,” the statement noted. David Sproule stated that the concerns would be conveyed to Canadian immigration authorities to improve processing timelines and ensure Nigeria receives appropriate attention within the visa-processing system.
