Presidency confirms UAE visa ban on Nigeria
The United Arab Emirates is yet to lift the visa restriction on Nigerian travellers, despite recent claims suggesting the visa ban had been lifted.
The Presidency confirmed on Tuesday that the restriction remains in place.
A document, circulating online and shared by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, initially indicated that the visa suspension had been lifted.
However, Onanuga later clarified that the UAE had not yet resumed issuing visas to Nigerians.
“The UAE has not resumed visa issuance to Nigerians. The document in circulation is not authorised by either the Nigerian government or the UAE,” Onanuga stated on his official X account.
In October 2022, the UAE had imposed a ban on citizens from around 20 African nations, including Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, and several others.
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This led to diplomatic tensions between the UAE and Nigeria over flight allocations and travel restrictions.
The now-debunked notice, dated February 26, suggested that the visa ban was lifted following discussions between President Bola Tinubu and UAE counterpart, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
However, this information was found to be inaccurate.
As of now, the visa ban on Nigerian travelers to the UAE remains in effect, with no official timeline provided for its possible lifting.
Part of the notice read, “The government of Nigeria and the government of the United Arab Emirates are delighted to announce a pivotal development in our diplomatic relations: the resumption of visa services for Nigerian citizens wishing to visit the UAE, commencing on 4th March 2024.
“This agreement is the culmination of extensive dialogues between the two nations, highlighting a shared vision for enhanced cooperation and mutual growth.
“To facilitate a smooth visa application journey for Nigerians, the UAE has introduced an innovative document verification process.”
