NDLEA opens up on asking married women to bring approval letters from husbands for visa clearance

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has clarified the plan to be asking married women to bring approval letters from their husbands to travel outside Nigeria.

Reports emerged earlier on Thursday that the NDLEA has implemented a requirement for married women seeking visas to present a letter of approval from their husbands before they can be cleared for travel.

According to the reports, this stipulation is part of the NDLEA’s updated visa requirements.

In addition to the approval letter, married women are also required to submit a passport photograph as part of the application process.

The development sparked outrage among Nigerians with critics arguing that this policy reflects outdated views on women’s rights and independence, potentially hindering their ability to travel freely.

@Big Chief Wendy on X said; “NDLEA’s visa clearance requires that a married woman should bring a letter of approval to travel from her husband along with his passport photograph. There is no such rule for men. This is such disgusting government-sponsored misogyny. Are married women children?!”

Dr. NED✨ tweeting as @Airtonnie reacted; “I got an Invite from the UN to attend a conference this October. Lol the country requires me to submit NDLEA clearance cert as part of its visa requirements. When I saw the list alone for the NDLEA clearance I gave up. I’m not married but this was certainly the most annoying part.”

@nancychimdimma commented; “@ndlea_nigeria In 2024, it’s unacceptable for married women to require their husband’s permission to travel, while men face no such demand. This outdated rule undermines women’s autonomy and perpetuates harmful gender inequality.”

NDLEA reacts

However, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi reacting to the development stated that this is a case of misinformation, as this policy has been in place for several years and was even halted over the past year.

He explained that the requirement for a letter of approval from husbands was not part of the process until less than ten years ago when some married women were arrested in Asian countries for drug trafficking.

Consequently, the NDLEA spokesperson stated that the affected countries opted to include this specific requirement for visa clearance as a temporary measure. “This requirement is not from the NDLEA; it’s what the source countries have requested,” he noted.

Babafemi added that the agency is currently reviewing its entire visa clearance procedures for those needing the document to apply for a visa.

Why NDLEA is reviewing the clearance procedure

The agency said its intention to review the entire process for Nigerians applying for visa clearance was to digitize everything.

As part of this review, they plan to officially eliminate the requirement for married women to present an approval letter from their husbands, a demand that has not been mandatory for some time.

With the new digital platform being developed for this purpose, Nigerians living abroad will also be able to apply for and obtain the necessary documents without needing to return to Nigeria.

What is visa clearance?

The NDLEA visa clearance certificate serves as proof that an individual has been investigated and found to have no record related to drug trafficking offenses in Nigeria. This document is typically required by the destination country.

According to the agency, there are eight countries that require this visa clearance: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Brazil, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Russia, among others. These countries have strict drug trafficking laws that can lead to life imprisonment or death.

This means that if a Nigerian citizen wishes to apply for a visa to any of these countries, they must first obtain the clearance document from the NDLEA and then present it at the embassy along with other required documents.

Babafemi emphasized that these eight embassies prioritize the visa clearance certificate over other documentation when processing visa applications. This is why the agency conducts thorough background checks and verification for all information provided in the clearance applications.