Misinformation Alert: UAE Visa Ban for Nigerians Remains Firm
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rejected Nigeria’s announcement that it will lift a year-long visa ban on its travelers.
A United Arab Emirates official quoted by CNN said there had been no change in travel status between the two countries. This official’s identity remains confidential because he is not authorized to speak to the press.
A year ago, the United Arab Emirates decided not to issue visas to Nigerians and citizens of 19 other African countries for no apparent reason.
This decision came as a surprise as Nigerians had previously been able to easily obtain 30-day tourist visas. Around the same time, Dubai-based airline Emirates ceased operations in Nigeria. The move came after the airline failed to recover the huge sum of $85 million held in Nigeria.
Recently, the President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu, and the President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held an important meeting in Abu Dhabi.
At the end of the meeting, Nigeria announced that the meeting had resulted in an agreement to lift the visa ban and resume air travel. The Nigerian government expressed optimism about the immediate return of airlines such as Etihad Airways and Emirates.
However, the UAE’s subsequent statement only discussed discussions on bilateral cooperation and strengthening ties, with no mention of decisions on visas or flights.
In response, Nigerian government spokesman Ngelale said more negotiations and time were needed to finalize a deal. He asked for patience and to avoid unnecessary speculation.
Before the ban, Emirates Airlines operated two daily flights from Lagos to Dubai and one daily flight from Abuja to Dubai.