The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied the assertions made by the federal government that it lifted its prohibition on granting visas to Nigerian travelers.
An official from the UAE reportedly verified the visa ban on Nigerians in a report by CNN on Friday.
The situation of travel between Nigeria and the UAE has not changed, according to the report.
The person requested anonymity, according to CNN, “because he is not authorized to speak to the media”.
The president’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, stated on Monday that the UAE has withdrawn the visa suspension following a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi. This declaration is in direct opposition to what she said.
Ngelale further stated that Nigerian flight operations for Emirates and Etihad Airlines are anticipated to begin immediately.
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, had previously announced at the 7th African Aviation Summit’s closing ceremony in Abuja that the government was working on the last-minute technicalities to make it possible for flight operations between the two countries to resume.
It is important to note that the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) immigration authorities officially announced in October 2022 that they would no longer be processing visa requests from nationals of Nigeria.
Emirates Airlines suspended its flights to Nigeria for the second time that year a month after this statement. This suspension resulted from the airline’s persistent difficulty in bringing the $85 million in revenue that was stuck domestically.