The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said that the visa disagreement between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates has been settled.
He declared that the travel ban preventing Nigerians from traveling to the UAE, particularly Dubai, would soon be lifted by the government of the UAE, according to The Punch.
This was disclosed by Keyamo at a welcome dinner for delegates attending the International Air Transport Association 80th Annual General Meeting and World Air on Monday.
Nigeria was prohibited from obtaining a visa by the UAE due to several diplomatic impasse.
President Bola Tinubu however in August 2023, intervened in the conflict between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates on visa issuing as well as the confrontation with Emirates Airlines that resulted in the airline ceasing operations in Nigeria.
Amidst cheers, Keyamo was led into the hall at the AGM, where more than two thousand participants were seated, by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum.
In his address to pressmen, the minister stated that said issues relating to visa denial by the UAE had been resolved, and that the only thing left to do was optimize the procedures for removing the visa ban.
He said, “The issue of visa has been resolved just the announcement remaining. They want to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. The announcement will be in a couple of weeks.”
In addition, Keyamo said his visit to Dubai was because of the need to maintain cordial relations with countries around the world.
He said, “The UAE is considered as a very important partner in Nigeria. Nigerians have a lot of stakes here in the UAE with a lot of investments. What we are doing is to make sure that we make it easy for millions of Nigerians who have put a lot of pressure on us to ensure that we open up this route again and secondly to make the visa application easier. I am sure you can see the way I was received here. That is to tell you how they value Nigeria.
“I was on the same ride with the ruler of Dubai, the Minister and the head of Emirates Group, and all the top shots of Emirates. There was no other person given that privilege here; that is to tell you how much they value us and they want Nigeria to see it in that light. They have opened up again to us. They have started to trust us again and I want to say thank you to them. I will take it from here on.”
