Nechi: Second Citizenship Offers Nigerians Passport to Global Opportunities

Franklin Nechi is the Chairman of Optiva Capital Partners, a leading Investment Immigration Wealth Management Company. He explains how second citizenship offers Nigerians a passport to global opportunities, empowering them to explore new horizons and achieve their personal and professional goals, writes Oluchi Chibuzor

Nigeria is undoubtedly one of the largest economies in Africa, and it is home to a vibrant and entrepreneurial population. However, despite our many strengths, the country faces significant development challenges, including limited access to quality education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. For many Nigerians, the desire to explore opportunities beyond our borders is strong, driven by a desire for personal growth, career advancement, and improved living standards.

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, having a second citizenship can be a powerful tool for Nigerians seeking to expand their personal and professional horizons. A second citizenship offers a passport to global opportunities, providing individuals with the freedom to travel, live, work, and invest in countries around the world. For Nigerians, who face unique challenges in terms of visa restrictions and limited international mobility, second citizenship can be a game-changer.

According to the Chairman of Optiva Capital Partners, Franklin Nechi, the nation’s foremost investment immigration wealth management company, “if the world were to be like a book and you operate in one country, you are reading only one page. People should begin to see the world as one because that is how it is configured especially in the business world. You have to see yourself as operating in all of them so that you will be able to take advantage of what exists in all the places.”

He also stated that investment savvy Nigerians should also look at life as a marathon and not a sprint, which means that, “if you are rich today you also have to be thinking about tomorrow by making plans for tomorrow so that there will be long term wealth. So, if you have visas, which are access to travel today, how do you make them permanent?

“There are people who thirty years ago could travel to where they wanted to but today they are denied visas, so it is important people think of second citizenship, so you can get your umbrella before it starts raining.”

Second citizenship, which Optiva Capital Partners assists Nigerians to acquire, offers numerous benefits such as Visa-free travel because a second citizenship can grant visa-free access to multiple countries, making it easier to travel for business, leisure, or education. There is also the added benefit of global career opportunities because through a second citizenship, Nigerians can work and live in countries with stronger economies and more robust job markets, in addition to access to top universities and research institutions worldwide. Investment immigration also opens doors to business and investment opportunities. A second citizenship can facilitate international business and investment, enabling Nigerians to tap into new markets and opportunities. Second citizenship also provides personal safety and security because in times of political instability or conflict, a second citizenship can provide a safe haven.

Several countries offer attractive second citizenship options for Nigerians, including Dominica, known for its affordable citizenship-by-investment program, and it also offers visa-free access to over 140 countries; the Caribbean Island nation, Saint Lucia which offers a citizenship-by-investment program with a range of investment options; and Grenada’s citizenship-by-investment program which offers visa-free access to the United States, China, and other countries.

Grenada boasts one of the most appealing and robust Citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs globally. It maintains strong diplomatic ties with the US, the UK, and the EU. Gaining access to the USA is not the only benefit one gets from obtaining a Grenada passport, it also gives visa-free travel to 143 countries including all countries of the European Union, United Kingdom, Singapore, Russia, and China.

Grenada stands out as one of the Caribbean nations offering a citizenship program that grants its citizens the opportunity to obtain an E-2 visa. By acquiring an E-2 visa, holders of a Grenada passport can reside in the United States indefinitely. As a citizen of Grenada, you will enjoy the benefits of the USA Treaty with Grenada, enabling you to establish a business, reside, and work in the USA alongside your family. You can also live and work in Grenada as a second home with zero hassles on global income tax, wealth tax, or inheritance tax.

To get a Grenada passport, there are two options, invest $220,000 in a government-approved real estate project. The property must be held for a minimum of 5 years before it can be sold or you make a non-refundable minimum donation of $150,000 to the National Transformation Fund.

Optiva Capital Partners, the largest provider of second citizenship and residency services in Africa has assisted thousands of families in obtaining second citizenship and residency from Grenada and many other Caribbean countries, and also permanent residency programmes in USA, Canada, Portugal, and Greece.

The company has twenty-one branches across the country and provides excellent investment immigration, investment advisory, wealth management services, and international real estate for its esteemed clients who have trusted them with their investment immigration needs for over 14 years.

According to Nechi, “lastly think about the return on investment across generations because once you obtain citizenship or permanent residency, it is for you and generations to come, which translates to access to world class education opportunities, and trade opportunities.”

One of Optiva Capital Partners success stories is its ability to develop partnerships with strong and well recognized reputable institutions. One of them is Stuart Financial with headquarters in Montreal, Canada, a global company with offices in many countries. They are the financial intermediaries to the Quebec government, and they are members of the investment regulatory Council of Canada. A very strong institution, they have never had any African partner before now, and Optiva Capital is their only African partners. Optiva Capital is also engaged with them in Greece, Portugal, and of course here in Africa, for Federal Start-up programme in Canada.

Nechi listed its other partnerships, which he stated includes “Green and Spiegel, which is Canada’s oldest and largest immigration law firm based in Toronto, specializing in corporate and personal immigration services. They have offices in five countries including the USA, and we are their only African partners.

Then you have the Heng Sheng Group, which is another global group with footprints in many countries like USA, China, Singapore, Grenada. They have the largest investment in the Caribbean right now, a $2.4 billion investment. They are building the Grenada National Resort.

We are equally their only African partner because prior to our relationship with them they had pockets of relationship but as soon as we came everything was subsumed into our relationship. Then we have Range Developments, an award-winning developer of luxury resorts offering Citizenship By Investment programmes in Grenada and the Caribbean. We are not exclusive because Range has other partners. We also have Anchor Capital, easily the largest trading investment banking group in South Africa with Asset Under Management of over Seven Billion US Dollars. We are their only partners right now. There is also AIL, an international insurance group, and also TIW Capital Group, a global asset management company in South East Asia with offices in Singapore, India, and UAE. Then we have CTP in Tampa, Florida, USA, which develops and manages over 760 old peoples’ homes. So we have a very strong and robust operation and we hope to grow it.”

Optiva Capital Partners, Africa’s leading investment immigration wealth management company has steadily, over the past fourteen years built a growing reputation amongst investment savvy Africans who seek quality service in investment immigration, investment advisory, and wealth management. In all of these bespoke services the company’s unwavering commitment is to provide clients with the opportunity to protect, grow, enhance and optimize their wealth, and ensure they get the benefits of secured Capital through Multi-asset funds, Global equities, Corporate funds; and also achieve Optimal Diversified Portfolio

Optiva Capital Partners longstanding purpose encapsulated in its core values of service, professionalism, collaboration, and excellence; premium product innovations; and elite global partnerships, have all added up to a winning formula.

Second citizenship offers Nigerians a passport to global opportunities, empowering them to explore new horizons and achieve their personal and professional goals. By investing in a second citizenship, Nigerians can unlock visa-free travel, global career opportunities, education and research opportunities, business and investment opportunities, and personal safety and security. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, second citizenship is an investment in one’s future, providing a foundation for success and prosperity.