United Arab Emirates Lifts Visa Ban: The United Arab Emirates, on Monday (11th September, 2023), lifted its months-long visa ban on Nigerians. Also, Etihad and Emirates Airlines will resume flight operations in Nigeria immediately.
“President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Monday in Abu Dhabi, finalised a historic agreement, which has resulted in the immediate cessation of the visa ban placed on Nigerian travellers.
“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,” the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed in a statement he signed Monday, 11 September, 2023.
In October 2022, the UAE banned nationals of about 20 African countries from entering its borders.
“This is to inform you that we will not be posting 30 days visa applications for these nationalities effective today, October 18, 2022,” the notice partly read.
Affected countries include Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, 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.