UAE Lifts Visa Ban On Nigerians As Tinubu Secures Landmark Deal
In a historic move, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted the visa ban on Nigerian travellers, following a high-level meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria and President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
The two leaders also agreed on several bilateral agreements that will boost the economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries, including new investments, defence cooperation, and foreign exchange liquidity.
According to a statement from the Nigerian presidency, the visa ban, which was imposed in 2021 due to security concerns, has been lifted with immediate effect. This means that Nigerians can now travel to the UAE without any restrictions or delays.
Additionally, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines, the flag carriers of the UAE, have resumed their flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, after months of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the visa ban.
The statement also revealed that President Tinubu presented some economic development proposals to his counterpart, which were well received by the UAE leader. As a result, the investment arms of the UAE government have agreed to invest several billions of U.S. dollars in various sectors of the Nigerian economy, such as defence, agriculture, and others.
Furthermore, the two presidents negotiated a joint foreign exchange liquidity programme, which will provide more stability and flexibility for the Nigerian naira and the UAE dirham. The details of this programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
President Tinubu expressed his gratitude to President Al Nahyan for his friendship and his willingness to work together to improve the relations between the two countries. He said that this historic agreement will benefit both nations and their people in terms of trade, tourism, security, and development.
