- Says Her Father, A Retired Ambassador Was Denied a Schengen visa
- Nigeria Ranks Among Bottom 20 Countries With Worst Passports
By Hamilton Nwosa
Bolanle Olukanni, the daughter of Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni, who served as the Nigerian High Commissioner to Australia from 2011 to 2015, has expressed concern regarding the degradation of Nigerian passports and the poor state rating Nigerian passport holders are subjected to.
This is as Olukanni lamented that her father a retired ambassador was denied a visa to Austria, a country he had previously served for three years as a foreign service officer during his 30 years illustrious career as a diplomat.
Olukanni who took to her official X handle lamented that her father was denied a visa alongside his mum over alleged suspicion that her dad and mum might not return to Nigeria.
She wrote: “I just want you guys to know that the Nigeria passport has been bastardised. My father is a retired Ambassador who lived and served in Austria for three years.
“He applied for a Schengen visa alongside my mum, and the Austrian embassy denied their visas.
Bolanle who is both a TV host and a filmmaker also lamented that 30 years of her father’s service to the country as a foreign service officer was disrespected, a development which shocked her. Although, The New Diplomat gathered that this incident has since been rectified as the Olakunni’s have travelled severally to Europe and other parts of the world including the United States.
“Do you realize the lack of diplomacy and courtesy and disregard for a country you have to have to deny a former foreign service officer a visa? A Foreign Service officer who served for 30 years and has been to over 30 countries.”
She further expressed her frustrations with the consulate, who thought her father wanted to stay in Austria, adding, “They think he wants to Japa. I’m so insulted. Lord.”
This comes as a recently published report by the Henley Passport Index listed Nigeria among the bottom 20 countries with the worst passports to hold in 2023, providing visa-free access to only 46 countries.
The Henley Passport Index is an authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the largest, most accurate travel information database – and enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team.
After Nigeria, other countries with worse passports include South Sudan, with 46 visa-free access to countries; Congo, 45 countries; Eritrea, 44 countries; Iran, 44 countries; Sudan, 44 countries; Lebanon, 43 countries; Kosovo, 42 countries; Libya, 41 countries, Sri Lanka,41 countries, among others.
