The United Arab Emirates has lifted visa ban on Nigerians.
Consequently, Etihad and Emirates Airlines will resume flight operations in Nigeria immediately.
“President Bola Tinubu and President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Monday in Abu Dhabi, have finalised a historic agreement, which has resulted in the immediate cessation of the visa ban placed on Nigerian travellers
“Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay,” the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed in a statement he signed Monday.
The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu secures landmark deal with United Arab Emirates across sectors; visa ban on Nigerian travellers is lifted immediately.’
Monday’s resolution followed talks between Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu and his Emirati counterpart, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
It also comes nearly three weeks after the President expressed his willingness to personally intervene to end the nearly one-year ban.
“We are family with the UAE; we only live in separate rooms but in the same house. We should look at the issues as a family problem and resolve it amicably. As you know, in every family, there are peculiarities.
“You can have an erring son or daughter, but we must work together. We need to agree on core aviation and immigration issues,” Tinubu told the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, at the State House on August 24, 2023.
In October 2022, the UAE banned nationals of about 20 African countries from entering its borders.
“This is to inform you that we will not be posting 30 days visa applications for these nationalities effective today, October 18, 2022,” the notice partly read.
In a notice issued to trade partners, including travel agents, Emirati authorities demanded that all applications be rejected.
Since the ban, the UAE and Nigeria have been locked in a diplomatic row over issues involving flight allocations and travel restrictions.
