12/09/2023
The visa ban imposed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Nigerians has been lifted, allowing Etihad and Emirates Airlines to resume flight operations in Nigeria with immediate effect. Discussions between Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu and his Emirati counterpart, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, resulted in this agreement. For the first time, Tinubu has addressed the impasse that led to Emirates, the UAE's national carrier, halting flights to Nigeria. In October 2022, the UAE had placed a ban on citizens from approximately 20 African nations from entering its borders.
Due to various issues related to flight allocations and travel restrictions, a diplomatic dispute has arisen between the UAE and Nigeria since the visa ban. Former President Muhammadu Buhari had appealed to Al Nahyan via phone in February, requesting the removal of the visa ban, but the UAE authorities declined the appeal.
In recognition of Tinubu's economic development and diplomatic efforts, a mutually agreed framework has been established, involving significant investments of billions of U.S. dollars across several sectors of the Nigerian economy. Furthermore, President Tinubu has successfully negotiated a joint foreign exchange liquidity program between the two governments, which will be detailed in the upcoming weeks.
Tinubu praised UAE President Al Nahyan for his unwavering friendship and determined collaboration in fully normalizing and elevating the level of relations between the two significant countries. Tinubu is expected to promptly return to Abuja.
