Nigerians’ visa restrictions in the UAE should be lifted, according to Buhari

Nigerians are no longer need to obtain visas from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The President discussed this stance on Tuesday with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates and concurrent Emir of Abu Dhabi, over the phone.

Prior to calling Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Buhari expressed his condolences for the loss of his mother-in-law, Sheikha Maryam Al Falasi. During their conversation, significant matters of interest to both nations were discussed.

In a statement released by Garba Shehu, the senior special assistant to the president for media and publicity, Buhari said he had asked the UAE to rethink its blanket restriction on Nigerians receiving visas for travel to the UAE.
The President remembered that the two countries have enjoyed years of great relations that are mutually beneficial and are evidenced by strong economic exchanges and frequent conversations on issues of mutual concern, including engagements at the highest political levels.
Despite the fact that no nation, including Nigeria, can tolerate criminal acts and illegal behavior, he highlighted that recent irritants in bilateral relations brought on by consular problems relating to the behavior of some Nigerians in the UAE are being resolved.

Buhari stated that the Nigerian government is prepared to impose the required punishment through the proper legal channels against anyone found to have committed crimes in the UAE.

He asked that the relevant security and intelligence agencies of the two nations be given the opportunity to tackle the situation and to find long-term solutions to the issues brought on by crimes and other unlawful activities.
According to the statement, Buhari also asked for Emirates Airline’s countrywide operations to resume after they had been halted.

Recall that in 2022, Emirates Airline decided to stop operating in Nigeria due to its difficulty to repatriate its funds that had become stranded there.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has been instructed to increase foreign exchange allocation to the airline, President Buhari added, assuring the leader of the UAE that the issue regarding the Emirates funds is receiving the proper attention along with those of other foreign airlines operating in Nigeria.