*The Federal Government moves to address certain identified loopholes that have caused the United Arab Emirates’ visa ban on Nigerian travellers since October 2022, following the recent historic meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his UAE counterpart

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

The Nigerian Government has assured the citizenry that things will be done differently as part of efforts at addressing the identified loopholes that caused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) visa ban.

绿帽献妻 reports the Federal Government Monday, September 11, 2023, stated that the reversal of the visa ban on Nigerians by the Arabian country would not mean that things would return to 鈥渂usiness as usual鈥�, especially in regard to聽 UAE visa applications and processing.

Photo: GulfInside

The UAE, in October 2022, had banned nationals of some 20 African countries, including Nigeria from entering Dubai, the capital city.

Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser (SA) to President on Media and Publicity, who said this while featuring on a Channels TV programme monitored in Lagos, after the deal between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his UAE counterpart, stressed that things would be done differently to address some loopholes that caused the visa ban in the first place.

Ngelale explained that “every agreement comes with mutual responsibility.

“There is no free lunch. What I mean by that is the notion that floodgates will open up and we go back to business as usual.

“That is not what Nigerians should expect. I want to be very clear about this so that everybody can understand.”

Addressing challenges of UAE visa application applications, processing

The presidential media aide also noted that 鈥渙ne of the major challenges of the bilateral relationship with regard to visa applications, visa processing and with respect to Nigerians being able to migrate to the UAE for example, was the fact that there was a laxity on the part of certain visa process or certain applications that were being made.

“It created a lack of specificity and lack of diligent evaluation with respect to who is travelling to the UAE and why they are travelling.”

He equally explained: “And this is why we had issues. Just a few bad eggs among our people giving a bad name to all of us, which was a major sticking point as to how we got to this point.

“So, what we have done as part of this process is to put in place measures to ensure there is effective diligence done on the part of both sides.鈥�

The UAE lifted the visa ban on Nigerians almost a year after the decision, following Tinubu’s intervention when the Nigerian President met with the UAE leader recently.

Gains of fresh bilateral agreement between Nigeria, UAE

The Presidency also in a statement Monday disclosed the immediate benefits of the latest bilateral agreement between the two countries.

The Federal Government said the agreement between the two leaders meant that Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines would resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria immediately.

The Presidency also noted that as negotiated between the two heads of state, the restoration of flight activities did not involve any immediate payment by the Nigerian Government.