Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced that the UAE plans to lift its travel ban on Nigerian citizens imposed in 2022. According to reports, Keyamo shared this news during a welcome dinner for delegates at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 80th Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Dubai.
Keyamo stated, “The issue of visa has been resolved, just the announcement remains. They want to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. The announcement will be made in a couple of weeks.”
The travel ban was originally imposed by the UAE due to diplomatic disputes, including issues with visa denials and conflicts with Emirates Airlines, which had suspended flights to Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu had intervened last year to address these disputes, with his office claiming to have “secured a landmark deal” with the UAE to lift the ban immediately. However, this claim was later denied by an Emirati official.
Keyamo emphasized the importance of the UAE as a partner to Nigeria, highlighting the significant investments Nigerians have in the Gulf state.
“Nigerians have a lot of stakes here in the UAE with a lot of investments. What we are doing is to make it easy for millions of Nigerians who have put a lot of pressure on us to ensure that we open up this route again,” he said.
“I was on the same ride with the ruler of Dubai, the minister, and the head of Emirates Group and all the top executives of Emirates. That is to tell you how much they value us, and they want Nigeria to see it in that light. They have started to trust us again, and I want to say thank you to them. I will take it from here on,” he added.
The official announcement, once made, is expected to rekindle bilateral relations and increase trade and flight connectivity between the two countries. Last month, Emirates Airlines announced that it will resume flights to Nigeria starting 1 October.