NaijWeb Keeping you informed…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has abandoned a contentious visa clearance policy that required married women to present a letter of approval from their husbands before traveling.
This policy, which was met with widespread criticism on social media, was labeled by many as discriminatory and outdated, prompting concerns of government-backed misogyny, which is really upsetting and needs to be addressed immediately.
However, in a statement released on Thursday, October 10, 2024, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed that the agency had removed the provision as part of an ongoing review of its entire visa clearance procedure.
Babafemi stated, “The requirement for a married woman to present a letter of approval from her husband to travel is one of the items the agency has since discarded as a non-mandatory requirement.”
Furthermore, Babafemi explained that the provision was initially included due to “unfavorable developments in some source countries.”
He assured the public that the item has been permanently removed from the list of requirements, and the revised guidelines will be made available soon.
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This move marks a significant step toward addressing the public’s concerns while balancing security and freedom of movement for Nigerian women.
