FG says UAE visa has been resolved, announcement is soon

The federal government have revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) visa ban on Nigerians has been resolved and an announcement regarding that will be made soon.

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, made this known on Wednesday in a statement reacting to the criticism from Osita Chidoka, former minister of aviation.

Keyamo said the announcement is imminent.

Chidoka, on May 22, had criticised the announcement of Emirates Airlines’ resumption in Nigeria’s aviation market.

He said the federal government must not allow Emirates Airlines to resume operations in Nigeria without being held accountable for their “disrespectful and demeaning conduct”.

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The former minister said the “audacity” of the airline to return to Nigeria “reeks the contempt and disdain towards our nation”.

However, Keyamo said resolving the diplomatic rift between the two countries is important because several Nigerians visit the UAE and invest there.

“Who will benefit more? How many Emiratis visit Nigeria and invest here as much as Nigerians visit the UAE and invest there?” Keyamo asked.

“Have you bothered to ask about the lifting of the visa ban before issuing your warped statement? For your information, that has been resolved too and the announcement is imminent.”

On March 5, the presidency shared a document announcing the restriction has been lifted, however, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, clarified the document was not authorised by the Nigerian and UAE governments.

Similarly, On September 11, the federal government also claimed UAE had lifted its visa ban imposed on Nigerian travellers.

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.