By Chinelo Obogo
The United Arab Emirates has contradicted claims by the Nigerian government that it has lifted a year-long visa ban on Nigerian travelers.
CNN reports that an official who asked not to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media said: “There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far.”
The UAE said in a notice last October it will no longer issue visas to citizens from Nigeria and 19 other African nations. Flights between both countries were stopped last year after Dubai’s Emirates airline suspended its operations in Nigeria citing trapped revenues.
The carrier said it could not access and repatriate its funds amounting to $85 million withheld in Nigeria.
Earlier this week, President Bola Tinubu met with UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi where both men “finalised a historic agreement,” according to a statement released by the Nigerian government.
The government said in the statement that the agreement paved the way for the lifting of the visa ban, including the immediate resumption of flights between both countries.
“Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay,” a statement by Tinubu’s spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said.
However, a statement by the UAE government later Monday said both leaders had during the meeting, “explored opportunities for further bilateral collaboration” with the hope of “reinforcing ties between the UAE and Nigeria,” but did not mention lifting the visa ban or flights restarting.
In a follow-up statement, Ngelale said officials from both countries needed more time to finalize agreement details, contradicting his earlier statement.
“Given the agreement struck between the two Heads of State, there is need to allow cabinet officials from both sides to work out the finer details and finalize the cross-sectoral agreements,” he said, adding that “Everyone can now allow the process to work itself out organically, devoid of speculation,” he said.
Before the ban, Emirates Airlines operated two daily flights from Lagos, Nigeria, to Dubai, and one daily flight from the capital Abuja to Dubai.