UAE lifts visa ban on Nigerians after Tinubu’s meeting
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted its visa ban imposed on Nigerian travellers, as Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria without any further delay.
Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement, that President Bola Tinubu met with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE president, in Abu Dhabi, on Monday.
Since 2021, UAE and Nigeria have been engaging in a diplomatic row over issues involving flight allocations and travel bans.
Recall that in December 2021, the UAE banned airlines from airlifting Nigerian passengers into the Emirates.
The UAE had claimed that the ban was due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Before the travel ban, UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) had approved a slot of three weekly flights from Nigeria to Sharjah Airport. The single flight was approved for Air Peace.
In retaliation to the UAE’s treatment of Air Peace, the federal government dropped the Emirates’ slots from 21 to one.
The move made the Dubai-based airline suspend all its flights to Nigeria.
