The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced the lifting of its long-standing visa ban on Nigerian travelers on a Monday. This development prompted both Etihad and Emirates Airlines to swiftly resume their flight operations to and from Nigeria.
The breakthrough in this matter was achieved during a meeting between President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, held in Abu Dhabi. The two leaders finalized an agreement that led to the immediate removal of the visa ban on Nigerian travelers.
Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, officially disclosed the details of this historic accord in a statement released on the same day. He emphasized that as a result of this agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines were instructed to recommence their flight schedules to and from Nigeria without any further delay.
This resolution followed a series of discussions and negotiations between President Tinubu and his Emirati counterpart, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The breakthrough came nearly three weeks after President Tinubu expressed his readiness to personally intervene and resolve the lingering visa ban issue.
Tinubu conveyed a sense of kinship with the UAE and stressed the importance of addressing the matter as a family problem, expressing the view that disagreements could be resolved amicably. He emphasized the need for mutual agreement on core aviation and immigration issues during a meeting with the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, at the State House on August 24, 2023.
This marked the first occasion when President Tinubu addressed the deadlock that had resulted in the suspension of flights to Nigeria by Emirates, the UAE’s national carrier.
In October 2022, the UAE had imposed a ban on travelers from approximately 20 African countries, including Nigeria. The official notice read, “This is to inform you that we will not be processing 30-day visa applications for these nationalities effective today, October 18, 2022.” The list of affected countries included Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Comoros, and the Dominican Republic. In response to this ban, Emirati authorities instructed trade partners and travel agents to reject all visa applications from these nations.
With the recent diplomatic breakthrough, the visa ban on Nigerian travelers to the UAE has been lifted, heralding the resumption of flight services by Etihad and Emirates Airlines to and from Nigeria. This agreement is seen as a significant milestone in improving diplomatic relations between the two nations and facilitating ease of travel for Nigerians to the UAE.