The President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Monday met with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is on a working visit to the UAE.
The United Arab Emirates has contradicted claims by the Nigerian government that it is to lift a year-long visa ban on Nigerian travelers. An official from the Gulf state told CNN: “There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far.”
The source asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
This latest development also aligns with reports by Khaleej Times, the authoritative daily English language newspaper published in Dubai, United Arab Emirates since 16 April 1978.
In its report shortly after the meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the paper said the two leaders “explored opportunities for further bilateral collaboration in areas that serve both countries’ sustainable economic growth, including the economic, development, energy, and climate action fields.
“The two sides also exchanged views on a number of regional and international developments of interest.
“The meeting discussed the upcoming COP28 climate conference set to take place in the UAE later this year, with both parties stressing the vital importance of encouraging and enabling international cooperation to tackle global issues, including climate change,” the paper reported.
The report of the visit in other newspapers did not reference the issue of visa ban, which has been a weighty matter and conflict between the two nation.
“I wondered why only Nigerian media reported the lifting of visa ban and all quoted the Presidential spokesman. This got me curious and I think the Nigerian government should come clear with what actually transpired when the leaders met. Scoring or trying to score cheap diplomatic goal with the matter of visa ban is pure deceit. Nigerians have been deceived by the President and that is not good. I have lived in Dubai for many years and I know how the visa restriction issue has negatively impacted my business here. Getting shipment to Nigeria and from Nigeria has become cumbersome and takes longer hours because you have to go through other airlines via other countries to enter the UAE.
“I was embarrassed and disappointed when I saw the CNN report,” fumed Mr. Damian Obunde, a Nigerian businessman in Dubai.
Recall that the UAE said in a notice last October it will no longer issue visas to citizens from Nigeria and 19 other African nations. It did not provide further details. Obtaining a 30-day tourist visa was relatively easy until the UAE abruptly stopped issuing the visas to Nigerian nationals.
Flights between both countries were stopped last year after Dubai’s Emirates airline suspended its operations in Nigeria citing trapped revenues.
The carrier said it could not access and repatriate its funds amounting to $85 million withheld in Nigeria.
The UAE’s Dubai emirate has been a popular destination for Nigerian travelers for many years.
Earlier this week, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu met with UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi where both men “finalized a historic agreement,” according to a statement released by the Nigerian government.
The government said in the statement that the agreement paved the way for the lifting of the visa ban, including the immediate resumption of flights between both countries.
“Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay,” a statement by Nigeria’s presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said.
However, a statement by the UAE government later Monday said both leaders had during the meeting, “explored opportunities for further bilateral collaboration” with the hope of “reinforcing ties between the UAE and Nigeria,” but did not mention lifting the visa ban or flights restarting.
In a follow-up statement, Nigerian government spokesman Ngelale said officials from both countries needed more time to finalize agreement details, contradicting his earlier statement.
“Given the agreement struck between the two Heads of State, there is need to allow cabinet officials from both sides to work out the finer details and finalize the cross-sectoral agreements,” he said, adding that “Everyone can now allow the process to work itself out organically, devoid of speculation.”
There was much jubilation from excited Nigerians when it was announced that the visa ban was lifted.
Dubai is a popular destination for thousands of Nigerian tourists. It is also a haven for real-estate investors from the country.
Before the pandemic, Nigerians ranked among Dubai’s largest foreign real-estate investors, with investments valued at nearly $2 billion, according to local media reports citing the Dubai Land Department.
Before the ban, Emirates Airlines operated two daily flights from Lagos, Nigeria, to Dubai, and one daily flight from the capital Abuja to Dubai.
Additional reports by CNN
