The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced that married women will no longer need to obtain approval from their husbands for visa applications, a requirement that is currently under review. This decision follows significant public backlash regarding the stipulation, which has now been removed from the agency’s official website.
In a notice issued on X (formerly Twitter) on October 10, 2024, the NDLEA addressed the outcry surrounding this requirement. Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy at the agency, clarified that the entire visa clearance process, as mandated by various countries, is undergoing reassessment.
“The requirement for a married woman to present a letter of approval from her husband is one of the items that the agency has since deemed non-mandatory,” Babafemi explained. He further noted that this stipulation was originally included due to “ugly developments in some source countries.”
The NDLEA reassured the public that this requirement has been officially eliminated as part of the ongoing review process, which will be detailed in the coming days. “Members of the public are assured that the item has been deleted from the list of requirements in the ongoing review exercise, which will be made public shortly,” the agency stated.
Additionally, the NDLEA clarified that the directive for this requirement did not originate from the agency or Nigeria but from the “source countries” themselves. These nations have established strict entry regulations aimed at safeguarding their borders against potential threats related to drug trafficking. As a result, the NDLEA serves as an enforcement agency, ensuring that Nigerians traveling to these specific countries can prove their legal standing regarding drug-related offenses.
In 2021, the NDLEA published a list of eight countries where a visa clearance certificate is mandatory for travelers. The countries on this list—Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Brazil, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Russia—are recognised for their stringent anti-drug laws and rigorous border control measures.
