DUBAI – The authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have denied the news regarding any visa changes for citizens from Nigeria.
The claims made by the Nigerian government in this regard have been contradicted by an official from the Gulf state.
“There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far,” the official told CNN but anonymously. Â
The emirate had announced in a notice last October that it would no longer issue visas to citizens from Nigeria and 19 other African nations.Â
Though no elaborate details were announced for denying visas to Nigerians, the process was simple to obtain a 30-day tourist visa before the visa ban.
Moreover, flights between both countries were suspended last year after Dubai’s Emirates airline suspended its operations in Nigeria for reasons including ‘trapped revenues’.
The airline had stated that it could not access and repatriate its funds worth $85 million withheld in Nigeria.
The news comes days after Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu met UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
In an official statement released by the Nigerian government, it was announced that both leaders “finalized a historic agreement,”.
The government had confirmed in the statement that the agreement paved the way for the lifting of the visa ban, as well as an immediate resumption of flights between the two states.
“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,” a statement by Nigeria’s presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said.
The claims were apparently put down on Monday when a statement by the UAE government said both leaders had during the meeting, “explored opportunities for further bilateral collaboration” with the hope of “reinforcing ties between the UAE and Nigeria.
The statement had no mention of lifting the visa ban or flights resumption.
