The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted its visa ban on Nigerians, permitting them to as soon as once more acquire visas to go to the nation.
This announcement was made by the minister of Data and Nationwide Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who acknowledged that the visa ban is lifted efficient from July 15, 2024.
He disclosed this to State Home correspondents on Monday after the Federal Govt Council assembly presided over by President Bola Tinubu on the Presidential Villa.
Idris stated that an settlement has been reached between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) relating to journey restrictions, thereby permitting Nigerian passport holders aspiring to journey to the UAE to take action.
Recall that on December 13, 2021, the UAE issued a journey restriction on passengers from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, citing a surge in COVID-19 instances amongst travellers from these two African nations.
This journey ban could have been linked to a diplomatic dispute between Nigeria and the UAE relating to Air Peace’s flight frequency to the UAE.
Air Peace had requested three weekly flights to Sharjah Airport, however the UAE’s Common Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) granted just one.
The GCAA acknowledged that Air Peace couldn’t count on to retain its flight frequency after withdrawing from Sharjah Airport, a declare the Nigerian airline denied.
In response, the Nigerian federal authorities lowered Emirates’ flight slots from 21 to 1, prompting the Dubai-based airline to droop all flights to Nigeria.
Nevertheless, President Bola Tinubu had intervened in August 2023 to resolve the dispute over visa issuance and the face-off with Emirates Airways
This improvement is anticipated to ease journey between Nigeria and the UAE, which is taken into account an essential accomplice for Nigeria, with many Nigerians having vital investments within the nation.
