The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced a reassessment of its visa clearance protocols.

A contentious stipulation requiring married women to provide a letter of consent from their husbands as part of the visa application process ignited significant discussion on social media on Wednesday.

Critics labeled the policy as antiquated and discriminatory.

In a statement released on Thursday, agency spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed that this requirement has been eliminated as part of a comprehensive review of the procedures.

The statement indicated, “The entire visa clearance process mandated by the NDLEA, as required by certain countries, is currently under evaluation, and the stipulation for married women to submit a letter of consent from their husbands has been removed as a non-essential requirement. This provision was initially introduced due to specific adverse incidents in some source countries.

“The public is assured that this requirement has been eliminated from the ongoing review, which will be disclosed in the coming days.”