Ahead of full implementation of use of electronic yellow (E-Yellow) cards in Nigeria, Port Health Services at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, held stakeholders’ sensitization programme on E-yellow card at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The sensitization programme which took place on Tuesday in the Conference Room of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos had in attendance representatives of foreign airlines operators in the country, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), ground handlers and security agencies attached to the aviation industry.
Speaking at the event, the officer in charge of PHS facility at the Lagos airport, Dr. Abdulai said the sensitization programme is in line with the directive of Federal Ministry of Health that Yellow Cards of passengers traveling out of Nigeria, to countries where the yellow card is required, must be checked with Q-R scanners, effective from April 1, 2019 to prevent embarrassment to Nigerians abroad.
“It is expected that Nigerians must travel with only E-yellow cards to countries where it is required from 1st April, 2019,” Abdullai said.
The Yellow Card known as International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, is a proof of evidence for vaccination against yellow fever and any other vaccine preventable infections (polio, meningitis)
While it is required in some countries such as Australia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Ghana and many African Countries, it is not required by all countries such as United Kingdom, United States of America.
It must be taken at least ten days before the expected day of departure
The Electronic Yellow Card known as E-Yellow card was introduced by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Health in 2018.
The e-yellow card is a physical card with basic information such as name of the traveller, passport number, date of birth, card number, Vaccine given, date of vaccination, which are registered on Port Health Services website – www.yellowcardnigeria.com
Responding to the speech, representatives of foreign airline operators who commended the Federal Government and PHS for coming up with the sensitization awareness programme, noted that the burden of passengers arrested with fake or invalid yellow cards falls on the airlines as they pay heavy fines to the destination countries.
While appealing to the federal government to allow the old and e-yellow cards till the end of 2019, the airlines operators however called on the federal government to embark on an intensified awareness campaign through the media to ensure that every Nigerian travelling abroad realized that e-yellow card is one of the vital documents they must take along whenever they are travelling outside the shore of the country.
“We have to commend the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ports Health Services (PHS) for embarking on this awareness sensitization programme on the full take off of the use of E-Yellow card in Nigeria.
We have to say this that we foreign airlines are the most affected anytime a passenger is deported for travelling with invalid or fake yellow card,” the airlines said.
“We would like to implore the federal government to please extend the deadline of the acceptance of the old yellow card till the end of this year.
“Also we want the Federal Ministry of Health to employ the services of the media, Radio, Social Media, Television and Prints Media to embark on a sustainable and far reaching awareness campaign on the E: Yellow card. This is the only reason that Nigerians would not be embarrassed internationally because of yellow cards as it happened in South Africa some years ago,” the airlines pleaded.
Good move