Federal Government has through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), granted permission to airlines operating into and out of Nigeria to board any passenger travelling into the country without evidence of payment for day-7 Covid-19 PCR test or generate paid QR code or permit to fly..
The permission was made known n a letter to all foreign airlines and signed by the Director General NCAA Captain Musa Nuhu; dated September, 11, 2021.
In the letter, the Director General of NCAA stated that the granting of the permit became necessary because of the difficulties encountered by travellers to Nigeria while trying to fill their health and travel history into the Nigeria International Travel Portal, (ITP).
“Such passengers will be required to make payment for the repeated day-7 COVID-19 test at their destination airport in Nigeria,” Nuhu said.
The Director General also stated in the letter that the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 has been made aware of the challenges, just as he added that holders of diplomatic passports and children aged ten years and below who are unable to complete the NITP are to be allowed to board the flight,
He said that their health declaration and travel history will be captured by the Port Health Services at the destination airport in Nigeria.
The Director General therefore enjoined airlines to bring the information to the knowledge of their passengers and ensure strict compliance with the stated conditions.
Federal Ministers alerted by this development are those of Health and Aviation Information and Culture; just as the Chairman Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 and the Head, Technical Secretariat, Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 are equally informed.
