The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced on Thursday that the visa impasse between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Nigeria has been resolved amicably.
The revelation came amidst criticism from former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, who demanded an apology from Emirates Airlines before they could resume operations on the Nigeria – Dubai route.
Chidoka emphasized that Emirates Airlines must be held accountable for their “disrespectful and demeaning conduct” before being allowed to operate in Nigeria again.
He denounced the airline’s audacity to return to Nigeria without acknowledging their actions, which he perceived as contemptuous towards the nation.
In response to Chidoka’s stance, Keyamo stressed the importance of resolving the rift between the two countries, highlighting the significant number of Nigerians who visit and invest in the UAE.
He questioned the imbalance in benefits between the two nations, pointing out the substantial investments made by Nigerians in the UAE compared to the relatively few Emiratis visiting and investing in Nigeria.
Keyamo also addressed the issue of the lifting of the visa ban, clarifying that it has been resolved and an official announcement is forthcoming.
The diplomatic tensions between UAE and Nigeria stemmed from issues involving flight allocations and travel bans since 2021.
The travel restrictions imposed by UAE on passengers from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo were purportedly due to a surge in COVID-19 cases from passengers originating from these countries.
However, suspicions arose that the travel ban may have been linked to a diplomatic dispute over flight frequency allocations involving Air Peace’s operations in the UAE.
Air Peace’s request for three weekly flights to Sharjah Airport in UAE was met with limited approval, leading to tensions between the two nations.
In response, the federal government reduced Emirates’ flight slots from 21 to one, prompting the Dubai-based airline to suspend all flights to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the management of Air Peace has refuted claims circulating on social media that the airline abandoned a passenger and closed its counter for its Monday flight from Gatwick to Lagos.
Mr. Stanley Olisa, the airline’s corporate communications lead, addressed the issue in a statement released recently.
Olisa clarified that the allegations stemmed from a video on social media, which he deemed false and misleading.
