The Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to lift travel restrictions on Nigerian passport holders, effective immediately.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced this development to State House correspondents on Monday after the Federal Executive Council meeting, which was presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“Today an agreement has been reached with the UAE effective from today July 15, Nigerian passport holders intending to travel to UAE can do so,” said Minister Idris.
He also advised Nigerians seeking more information on the updated visa conditions to visit [documentverificationhub.ae](http://documentverificationhub.ae) for additional details.
This move comes after the UAE imposed a travel restriction on passengers from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo on December 13, 2021, due to a surge in COVID-19 cases among travelers from these countries.
Nigeria’s situation was further complicated by a diplomatic dispute between Nigeria and the UAE over flight frequencies and funds owed to UAE’s Emirates Airlines trapped in the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, had requested three weekly flights to Sharjah Airport, but the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority granted only one, citing Air Peace’s previous withdrawal from Sharjah Airport.
In response to these issues, the Nigerian government reduced Emirates’ flight slots from 21 to one, prompting the Dubai-based airline to suspend all flights to Nigeria.
This new agreement signifies a positive step towards resolving these disputes and resuming normal travel and diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the UAE.
