The rise of a strengthening African Union and the resulting passport legislative change has created unrest and excitement, alike!
What exactly will and has changed?
To start, Nigeria’s tourism and closely-related hospitality industry might financially overtake the mighty oil sector in just a few years, if projections and trends hold true!
With the recent launch of the African Union (AU) passport and its subsequent adoption by the country’s legislators, this would be fantastic news to the African nation.
The advent of the Pan-African passport also (by design) allows for free movement of domestic tourists into the country and throughout the continent in an EU-modeled system.
Reactions unsurprisingly range from enthused, to disgruntled.
The resulting opportunities presented by the unified African passport absolutely outweigh the potential/imagined threats to national, continental, and global security, according to many. Since Nigeria’s mainstay, oil, might not provide enough of a lift to the economy, the government will be and has been seeking alternative methods of generating revenue.
The harsh reality of these dwindling oil prices (a result of the fall in foreign exchange) is now being experienced across all sectors and as such, many leading experts in the industry are brainstorming on diversification possibilities to prevent Nigeria from entering a recession.
As a result of these changes and to meet the demands for an ever-changing economic climate, Nigerian leaders have boosted the hospitality industry, along with the sectors with the most opportunities for projected growth in the next few years.
Breaking this long-standing barrier of free and east travel for other African countries to make its way to Nigeria, is an undeniably powerful way of accelerating the growth of the hospitality industry!
Of course, it should be say that this collective vision of the unified AU passport will also have some cause for concern attached it, such as an unregulated flow of migrants from one country to another!
Finally, be sure to message us at ePassportPhoto to get quick guidance from our representatives!