March 5, 2024
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is yet to resume visa services for Nigerian citizens wishing to visit the country, The Nation has learnt.
Several news outlets (not The Nation) had reported that UAE on March 4 lifted the visa restriction on Nigerian travellers.
But Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, refuted the viral document in an update on his “X” page on Tuesday, March 5.
In October 2022, the UAE implemented a ban on citizens from approximately 20 African nations from entering its borders.
Among the affected countries are Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Comoros, and the Dominican Republic.
The Emirati authorities issued a notice to trade partners and travel agents, instructing them to reject all applications.
Since the ban, the UAE and Nigeria have been embroiled in a diplomatic dispute concerning flight allocations and travel restrictions.
Reacting on Tuesday, Onanuga said: “UAE has not resumed visa issuance to Nigerians. The document in circulation is not authorized either by the Nigerian government or the UAE.”
