Festus Keyamo, the Federal Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has indicated that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government will shortly unveil the date for easing the visa ban on Nigerian visitors.
Keyamo made the statement during an interview with Otega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, which may be found on the State House of Nigeria’s official YouTube channel.
The Aviation Minister acknowledged that, while President Bola Tinubu and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reached an agreement during President Tinubu’s September 2023 working visit to the UAE, where the visa ban on Nigerians was lifted, additional steps were needed.
Keyamo said these processes have now been completed, making the announcement of the lifting of the visa ban by the UAE government imminent.
“After that high-level meeting, Mr. President, credited to him, made things very easy for us all. We did our follow-ups as his ministers.
“We have done everything. We have resolved everything. Just wait for the announcement from the UAE government, and that announcement is imminent,” Keyamo said.
Speaking further, the Minister noted that he is privy to the date when the travel restriction on Nigerians to the UAE will be officially lifted. Still, he would wait for the official announcement to be made by the UAE government.
What you should know
President Bola Tinubu’s working visit to the United Arab Emirates in the fourth quarter of 2023 aimed to resolve several issues between the two countries, including the visa restrictions for Nigerians and the suspension of Emirates Airlines flights to Nigeria.
- Following the meeting, a resolution was reached to lift the visa ban on Nigerian travellers by the UAE government. However, the implementation was not immediate, as follow-ups were required between both countries.
- While the announcement of the lifting of the ban on Nigerian travellers by the UAE government is expected shortly, the issue of the suspension of Emirates Airlines flight operations has been resolved.
- The UAE-based airline suspended flight operations to Nigeria in October 2022 due to its inability to repatriate trapped funds.
- The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has rectified the issue of trapped funds for foreign airlines, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) confirming that about 98% of airlines’ trapped funds in Nigeria have been successfully repatriated by international carriers.
- Consequently, the management of Emirates Airlines announced in April 2024 that the airline would resume operations in Nigeria by October 1, 2024, marking two years since the suspension of flights to Nigeria was implemented.