British Council ponders new Technology to combat visa fraud in Nigeria

THE British government is contemplating using state-of-the-art online visa application and payment technology, in a move aimed at fighting crime in Nigeria, a top diplomat has confirmed.

British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jason Ivory, said the case of fraudulent activities involving fake visas for Nigerians wishing to travel to the United Kingdom were high, and pointed out that new technology would make such activities a thing of the past.

He said payment of visas applied for online was currently a challenge for the British High Commission hence the need to move over to better technology.

Ivory said his country, with an embassy and consulates in both Lagos and Abuja, would soon embark on the latest technology to prevent fraudsters from making fake visas and false payment.

“What we will like to do is to enable people to fully submit their applications online just like the Americans do. We don’t have that facility at the moment because we can’t make online payments,” said Ivory.

He said the majority of travellers were yet to know how to submit either their applications or payments online, but said this would change in the near future.

“A very small percentage of our customers currently apply online. We would like to encourage more to do so,” said Ivory.

Okoro Chinedu, Nigeria