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Age is not a barrier to achieving your dream: story of a Nigerian 62-year-old PhD Holder

20 May 2021

Bolanle Afolabi, a Nigerian citizen, has built a successful career in top oil and gas companies at home and abroad. He has studied in the UK and USA, visited over 50 countries with his wife, and educated their four children in Europe.

But the most cherished dream β€” to become a citizen of the world β€” he achieved only at the age of 62 with the help of the Migronis Company, the provider of citizenship programs around the world.

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Age is not a barrier to achieving your dream: story of a Nigerian 62-year-old PhD Holder β€” Migronis

Client Profile

Dr. Bolanle Afolabi

Home country: Nigeria

Age: 62

Family: wife and four grown-up children (a Lawyer, Mechanical and Software Engineers, and a Real Estate Consultant)

Career and social status:

  • Freelance Consultant, President at Canal International Services Nig Ltd, a versatile indigenous company engaged in oil and gas consulting, strategic supply chain, forex trading, real estate, and arbitration.
  • Holds several positions on Boards of Directors for thriving oil and gas companies.
  • A blockchain enthusiast.
  • Expert in strategic supply chain management.
  • Served at his country’s National Oil Company for 11 years.
  • Dedicated more than 20 years to a career at Shell International Petroleum.
  • A Paul Harris fellow of the Rotary Club.
  • An avid golfer who had been Captain at two golf clubs.

Education:

  • Master’s Degree in Marine Transportation, Maritime College, State University of New York, USA
  • Ph.D. in Regional Development and Environmental Science, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
  • Studied transport planning at the Centre for Business Studies, London, UK

Spouse:Β  Happily married to Lady Lola Afolabi, an entrepreneur in the hospitality industry.

Client request:Β 

Visa-free travel, freedom to jump on the plane at any slightest opportunity, a global citizen with a willingness to contribute to Earth development.

Client’s story: Bola’s journey to the big dream

We have always dreamt of being independent global citizens living in the first world country to raise our children with the best quality of life we can. But since nature has created us as citizens of a developing country, we started to search for better life options in greener pastures by ourselves. And we identified five criteria crucial for our choice:

  • Quality of healthcareΒ 
  • Quality of educationΒ 
  • Quality of life
  • Safety and securityΒ 
  • The rule of law.

We worked on our dream for over two decades. Still, we only succeeded in relocating our children while staying in our country right up to retirement.

I am a happy father of four successful children (a lawyer, two engineers, a realtor) and a grandparent.

Our children were raised in the UK, and as destiny would have it, they became British citizens at some point in time. That environment ticked all of our boxes for the kind of quality of life we wished for our children. It was then our turn to become citizens of society with higher living standards to visit our children with minimal restrictions.

In early 2019, my friend sent me a Migronis leaflet via Whatsapp. It was telling about all the advantages of getting another citizenship and was truly inspiring. So I got back to my friend, β€œSounds great, but the age?” I had doubts about migrating to a new place at 62.

Then I shared this idea with my wife, we talked through it, and she encouraged me to reconsider my initial position. We sold some assets, started saving up for the program, and initiated the acquiring process a few months later.

The Migronis team had all the answers I was looking for, so I was pretty sure what I would get for the money paid. And we chose a program suitable both for my and my wife’s needs.Β  It was helpful to have a person with me all the way long, right to the end of the process.

We do love traveling. We may have visited over fifty countries and counting. So we know exactly this rustle while making visas and these long delays at some embassies. A passport that does not require a visa to many countries is a true blessing. And an Antigua and Barbuda citizenship is just it.

Besides, we have already become familiar with the beauty of the Caribbean.Β 

In 2015, we had a 7-day family cruise to the US Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. Croix), St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, Grenada, and San Juan in Puerto Rico. It was a trip of a lifetime! We explored, scuba-dived, kayaked, enjoyed seafood, and met wonderful people.

Similarly, in December 2019, we took a cruise through the Western Caribbean and saw the Caribbean islands’ loveliness from that side.Β 

I received my first Migronis email on 22 July 2019 and our Antigua and Barbuda passport photocopies on 24 July 2020. It came to a year for the whole process. Probably, five months were lost because of the lockdown, so the citizenship acquisition took up to six months after all.

I will recommend Migronis to my relatives and friends interested in such a service. In fact, I have already done it.

How we chose the program

Age is not a barrier to achieving your dream: story of a Nigerian 62-year-old PhD Holder β€” Migronis

Anatoly Letaev

Founder of Migronis

How we chose the program

It is pretty challenging for Nigerians to get European visas. And a passport of the country with broader travel opportunities can help with that. The client had two main criteria for a program β€” travel with fewer limits and the option to visit his children in the UK.

It was the match. The Caribbean citizenship programs had visa-free entry to Europe and some other countries, and a few of them allowed staying in the UK for up to six months a year, not limiting the number of visits.

Together with the client, we decided on the Antigua and Barbuda National Development Fund Program as Mr. Bolanle Afolabi’s budget could cover it.” It is pretty challenging for Nigerians to get European visas. And a passport of the country with broader travel opportunities can help with that.

Antigua & Barbuda Citizenship Benefits
With a Nigerian passport, as of March 2021, you can visit 44 countries without a visa (24 of them ask for an electronic visa upon arrival). An Antigua & Barbuda passport gives you visa-free travel to 130 countries.

Three options of the citizenship by investment program offered to Mr. Afolabi

  • Investment in the National Development Fund. A minimum of a $100,000 non-refundable contribution (client’s choice).

  • Investment in real estate. A minimum of $200,000.

  • Investment in the University of the West Indies Foundation. A minimum of $150,000 non-refundable contribution. The option is available from 11 May 2020 for large families (up to 6 people, the investor including). The benefit is that one of the family members will receive a one-year scholarship to the University of the West Indies.

Process timeline

7 January 2019

the client found out about Migronis

22 July 2019

the client made a request, and Migronis sent the first details

14 August 2019

an agreement was signed

November 2019

all documents collected

December 2019

documents submitted to the government for consideration

24 July 2020

Β the Antigua and Barbuda passports were ready

Case challenges

Age is not a barrier to achieving your dream: story of a Nigerian 62-year-old PhD Holder β€” Migronis

Victoria Yuzvenko

Legal Counsel of Migronis

Case challenges

The Nigerian citizens have some issues in terms of papers, so some difficulties occur because of the reasons:

  • The Antiguan government requires a notarized copy of the passport with an apostille. At the same time, the Nigerian one does not issue them.
  • Birth certificates are either absent or have poor quality. Still, they are mandatory, so we have to redo the scans several times until they are accepted.
  • No headgear in the photo. The Nigerian women from some ethnic groups always wear headwear, even taking pictures for passport photos. In this case, it wasn’t the issue, but the other client had to write an official explanation.
  • In Nigeria, the official documents often have mistakes in name spelling. And we have to request the document repeatedly.Β 

The extensive experience of the Migronis team helped to deal with all these issues. We are scrupulous, flexible, and ready to get over any difficulties.

What opportunities did Bola Afolabi and his wife get?

Benefits of an Antigua and Barbuda passport

  • Visa-free travel to 130 countries, including the Schengen area, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Russia, and others.

  • Access to a B1 / B2 tourist visa in the United States for up to 10 years.

  • You do not need to give up your home country passport. Dual citizenship allowed.

  • Get service in European banks.

  • One investment is enough for the whole family. If desired, Bolanle Afolabi could include his children in the program for free.

  • Citizenship can be inherited.

  • Stunning nature with beautiful bays, tropical forests, and a rich underwater world.

Migronis Company – a licensed citizenship programs provider. Since 2012, we have been helping to obtain citizenship and residency by investment in 20+ countries around the world.

We have offices in 5 countries β€” Portugal, UAE, Cyprus, Russia, Ukraine. We work completely legally and 100% confidentially.

Worldwide recognition:

Company of the Year at The Global Law Experts Awards 2020

Recognized as one of the Top 25 Global Immigration Companies by Uglobal

Kristina Kurkuliak (Ruzhilo), the managing partner and CEO of Migronis, was ranked among the 50 Most Influential Representatives in Investment Immigration by Uglobal in 2019

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