The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted the visa restrictions on Nigerian travelers.
News About Nigeria reports that this development was revealed by the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, during a briefing with State House correspondents on Monday.
The briefing followed the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, where the decision was discussed and confirmed.
The lifting of the visa restriction may be seen as a better development for Nigerian citizens who intend to travel to the UAE.
Prior to this announcement, Nigerian travelers faced certain restrictions when seeking to enter the UAE.
However, with the removal of these restrictions, Nigerians can now travel to the UAE with greater ease.
In October 2022, the UAE banned citizens from approximately 20 African nations from entering its borders.
Among the affected countries are Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, 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.
The Emirati authorities issued a notice to trade partners and travel agents, instructing them to reject all applications.
Since the ban, the UAE and Nigeria have been embroiled in a diplomatic dispute concerning flight allocations and travel restrictions.
In August 2023, President Bola Tinubu waded into the dispute between the UAE and Nigeria over the issuance of visas as well as the face-off with Emirates Airlines that had made the carrier stop flights into Nigeria.
In June 2024, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed that the face-off between the country and the UAE had been settled.
