UAE delegation in Nigeria to address visa ban, flights resumption

A delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived in Abuja on Sunday to finalise discussions regarding the possible lifting of the visa ban on Nigeria. The team will also discuss the resumption of flight services between the two countries.

The visit follows President Bola Tinubu’s recent trip to the UAE, where discussions on renewing diplomatic relations were initiated.

The UAE delegation, consisting of state officials including Alshehhu Rasheed, Teo Teck San, Almannaei Khalid, Alhosani Talal, and Janahi Asma, is scheduled to meet with Nigerian officials over the coming days to restart diplomatic relations and address the issues that led to the suspension of flights and visas.

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Last year, the UAE withdrew its airlines, Emirates and Etihad Airways, from operating in Nigeria and halted the issuance of visas to Nigerians in response to Emirates revenues being held in Nigeria without remittance to the airline.

President Tinubu’s discussions during his stopover in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, with President Mohamed bin Zayad al Nahyan focused on restoring diplomatic relations.

It is expected that these talks will pave the way for the resumption of Emirates Airlines’ flights, including 21 flights a week, with two daily flights to Lagos and one daily flight to Abuja from Dubai. In return, Air Peace flights to the UAE are also anticipated to be reinstated

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.