“Visa Ban and Four Other Key Points to Understand Regarding Tinubu’s Trip to the UAE”

President Bola Tinubu has met with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates in a bid to resolve the Emirates Airline flight suspension to Nigeria, visa ban and other diplomatic issues.

According to The PUNCH, the UAE implemented a visa ban on Nigerians in October 2022, following Emirates Airlines’ suspension of flights to Nigeria. This action was purportedly taken due to Nigeria’s inability to repatriate a substantial amount of funds that were stuck in the country.

In a statement from the presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, the presidency announced that a groundbreaking agreement had been reached between Tinubu and the President of the UAE, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In its report, The PUNCH highlights the five significant agreements achieved by the President during his negotiations with the UAE, as outlined in the official statement.

1. The immediate lifting of the visa ban that was imposed on Nigerian travelers.

2. Both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines will promptly resume their flight schedules to and from Nigeria without any further delays. This resumption of flight services between the two countries will not require an immediate payment from the Nigerian government.

3. An established framework has been agreed upon, involving substantial investments worth billions of U.S. dollars into various sectors of the Nigerian economy. These investments will be made by the investment arms of the United Arab Emirates government and will encompass areas such as defense, agriculture, and more.

4. The President has successfully negotiated a joint foreign exchange liquidity program between the two governments, with detailed announcements to follow in the coming weeks.

5. An agreement has been reached to fully normalize and elevate the standard of relations between these two significant nations to a level of excellence.