UAE To Resume Flight In Nigeria After Historic Agreement With Tinubu

UAE – Nigerian travellers can now visit the United Arab Emirates without any visa restrictions, thanks to a historic agreement between the two countries.

iexclusivenews reports that the visa ban, which was imposed by the UAE in October last year, has been lifted after almost one year of diplomatic negotiations.

President Tinubu Meets UAE President in Abu Dhabi

The breakthrough came after President Bola Tinubu met with President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, issued a statement on the outcome of the talks.

According to the statement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, following the agreement between the two heads of state.

The statement also noted that the restoration of flight activities does not involve any immediate payment by the Nigerian government.

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New Investments and Foreign Exchange Programme for Nigeria

The statement further revealed that President Tinubu’s economic development diplomacy drive and proposals were well received by President Al Nahyan.

Who agreed to invest several billions of U.S. dollars into the Nigerian economy across multiple sectors.

Including defense, agriculture and others, through the investment arms of the Government of the United Arab Emirates.

Additionally, President Tinubu successfully negotiated a joint, new foreign exchange liquidity programme between the two Governments.

Which will be announced in detail in the coming weeks. The programme is expected to boost Nigeria’s foreign reserves and stabilize the naira.

Tinubu Commends UAE President for Friendship and Cooperation

President Tinubu expressed his gratitude to President Al Nahyan for his unalloyed friendship.

And his determined effort to join hands with him to fully normalize and reset to excellence, the standard of relations between the two important countries.

He also praised the UAE for its remarkable achievements in various fields of human endeavour, such as science, technology, tourism and culture.

However, Tinubu ssaid he looked forward to strengthening the bilateral ties between Nigeria and UAE for the mutual benefit of both nations.

Background of the Visa Ban

The UAE had in October last year banned nationals of some 20 African countries, including Nigeria from entering its capital city, Dubai. The ban was reportedly due to security concerns and COVID-19 protocols.

The ban had adversely affected many Nigerians who had business or personal interests in Dubai.

Some Nigerians had also complained of being denied entry into Dubai even after obtaining valid visas from third-party countries.

The lifting of the visa ban is therefore a welcome development for many Nigerians who can now travel to Dubai without any hassle.