The Nigerian Government has allegedly told lies to Nigerian travellers that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) lifted the ban on visa.
The ban imposed last October was extended to other 10 African countries without further reasons as to why it was introduced.
During the visit of the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, to the UAE, meeting the President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity said the meeting birth the removal of travel ban on Nigerian travellers.
Based on this, the PIJAlance factchecked the Ngalale statement and found that though the UAE President acknowledged the meeting with President Tinubu, it never confirmed the statement that the travel ban has been lifted.
However, in an exclusive interview with the CNN, the UAE contradicted claims by the Nigerian government that it lifts a year-long visa ban on Nigerian travellers.
An official from the Gulf state said: “There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far.”
The source asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Meanwhile, obtaining a 30-day tourist visa was relatively easy until the UAE abruptly stopped issuing the visas to Nigerian nationals.
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.
The UAE’s Dubai emirate has been a popular destination for Nigerian travelers for many years.
Earlier this week, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu met with UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi where both men “finalized 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 Nigeria’s presidential 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, Nigerian government spokesman 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.”
An elite’s playground
There was much jubilation from excited Nigerians when it was announced that the visa ban was lifted.
Dubai is a popular destination for thousands of Nigerian tourists. It is also a haven for real-estate investors from the country.
Before the pandemic, Nigerians ranked among Dubai’s largest foreign real-estate investors, with investments valued at nearly $2 billion, according to local media reports citing the Dubai Land Department.
Before the ban, Emirates Airlines operated two daily flights from Lagos, Nigeria, to Dubai, and one daily flight from the capital Abuja to Dubai.
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