Visa Ban Lift on Monday By the UAE has steered up some reactions, the Presidency has also announced on Tuesday that the details of lifting of the visa ban would soon be finalised by Nigerian cabinet officials and their Emirati counterparts. This was disclosed to State House Correspondents on Tuesday by our Correspondent.
An Agreement has been Struck Between the Two Nations
It happens the day after Tinubu and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, met in Abu Dhabi for talks that led to the immediate lifting of the visa requirement for visitors from Nigeria. Because of this, “Both Etihad and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay.”
“Given the agreement struck between the two Heads of State, there is a need to allow cabinet officials from both sides to work out the finer details and finalise the cross-sectoral agreements, Punch released in a statement on Monday. Everyone may now sit back and let the process play out naturally without making any assumptions.
Countries that Was Affected
The UAE barred citizens from about 20 African nations from entering its borders as of October 2022.
This is to advise you that as of today, October 18, 2022, we will not be posting 30-day visa applications for these nationalities. Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Comoros, and Dominican Republic are among the nations that are affected.
Emirati authorities asked that all applications be denied in a notice sent to business partners, including travel agencies. The letter stated that “Any applications from the aforementioned nations will be sent back or cancelled.” But it doesn’t apply to people with diplomatic passports. Since the embargo, there has been a diplomatic dispute between the UAE and Nigeria over issues involving airline scheduling and travel limitations.
Jerrymusa.com Reports that Former President Muhammadu Buhari telephoned Al Nahyan in February 2023 pleading with him to relax the visa restriction. The request was denied by the UAE authorities. Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, was praised by Tinubu for his unwavering friendship and steadfast efforts to work with him to fully normalise and raise the bar for relations between the two significant nations.