The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially lifted the visa ban that had been imposed on Nigerian travelers. This positive outcome emerged following a pivotal meeting between President Bola Tinubu and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
One of the major achievements of this meeting was the immediate resumption of flight schedules for both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines to and from Nigeria, and this resumption will occur without any further delays.
The announcement of this breakthrough agreement was conveyed through a statement issued by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity. According to the statement, the restoration of flight operations between the two countries, as negotiated by the two leaders, does not entail any immediate financial commitments from the Nigerian government.
Furthermore, as part of President Tinubu’s economic development diplomacy efforts and the proposals presented during the meeting, an agreed framework has been established. This framework paves the way for significant investments worth billions of U.S. dollars into various sectors of the Nigerian economy, including defence, agriculture, and more, by the investment arms of the UAE Government.
Additionally, the statement revealed that President Tinubu successfully negotiated a new joint foreign exchange liquidity program between the two governments, which will be detailed in the coming weeks.
The President Tinubu also expressed his appreciation for UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s unwavering friendship and commitment to working together to fully normalize and elevate the standard of relations between the two important nations.
