The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced that married women are no longer required to submit a letter of approval from their husbands when applying for a visa clearance certificate.
The certificate, which confirms an individual has no drug-related convictions in Nigeria, is a prerequisite for entry to certain countries.
Previously, the NDLEA mandated that married women include a “letter of approval to travel from their husband, attached with his passport photograph.”
This rule did not apply to men, which led to criticism online, particularly after an X user posted a viral complaint calling the policy “discriminatory” and “government-sponsored misogyny.”
The post quickly gained widespread attention, with many on social media condemning the policy as outdated and unfair. In response, the NDLEA clarified in a statement that the requirement had already been removed as part of an ongoing review of its visa clearance procedures.
“The entire procedure for visa clearance issued by the NDLEA as required by some countries is currently undergoing review, and the requirement for a married woman to present a letter of approval from her husband to travel is one of the items that the agency has since jettisoned as a non-mandatory item on the list,” the statement read.
The agency explained that the initial policy was introduced due to “some ugly developments in some source countries,” but reassured the public that it has now been eliminated. The revised visa clearance procedure is expected to be released in the coming days.
This move is expected to ease the application process for married women, and it signals the agency’s intention to modernise and align with gender equality.
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