No fewer than 100 foreign nationals of African descent from 18 countries, mostly from the Caribbean and the United States, have lamented the stress and difficulties they faced in travelling to Nigeria for tourism, investment discussions and cultural reconnection.
The visitors, who have spent more than a week in Calabar, said they encountered multiple challenges ranging from connecting flights to visa hurdles and other entry protocols.
Many, particularly from Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago, reported changing up to three flights before finally arriving in Nigeria.
They appealed to Nigerian authorities to ease visa processes and airline regulations to encourage genuine investors and Africans in the diaspora who wish to return home.
“We need policy changes to include visa-free entry because most tourists are discouraged by too many hurdles. Nigeria should also establish direct air links with Caribbean nations,” one of the delegates said.
The group, which includes professionals, businesspeople, entertainers, clergy, and academics, spoke at a media parley organised by the Cross River State Diaspora Commission. They expressed excitement at being in Africa, some for the first time, and reconnecting with people they believe share ancestral ties.
They recalled their visit to the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, during which they were warmly received, inducted into the Efik Kingdom, and given native names.
The visitors, under the aegis of the Global United Christian Congress of Africa and Diaspora, GUCCAD, pledged to make the trip an annual event and to establish “Diaspora Villages” in Calabar and other parts of Nigeria to foster business and cultural exchange.
Vice President of the group, Wycliffe Smith, a former Prime Minister of St. Martin in the Caribbean, commended Governor Bassey Otu for facilitating their visit. He said the delegation comprised experts in various fields ready to transfer knowledge and invest in the State.
Some delegates from Barbados also expressed interest in initiating student exchange programmes that would enable Cross River students to study modern courses in their country. They emphasised that training young Africans remains key to the continent’s future prosperity.
Chairman of the State Diaspora Commission, Prince Otu Oko, said the visitors held business talks with the Calabar Chamber of Commerce, visited tourist sites including the Slave History Museum, and were received by Governor Otu, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, and the Obong of Calabar.
He assured that the state government would provide guarantees for their prospective investments and support educational exchange programmes.
