CNN reports that the United Arab Emirates has contradicted claims by the Nigerian Government that it is to lift a year long visa ban on Nigerian Travelers. CNN reports that an official from the Gulf state told CNN ”there are no changes on the Nigera/UAE travel status so far.” The source asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The UAE said in a notice last October it will no longer issue visas to citizens from Nigeria and 19 other African nations. It did not provide further details. Obtaining a 30-day tourist visa was relatively easy until the UAE abruptly stopped issuing the visas to Nigerian nationals with flights between both countries stopped after Dubai’s Emirates Airline suspended its operations in Nigeria citing trapped revenues.

The airline said it could not access and repatriate its funds amounting to $85m withheld in Nigera. Before the ban, Emirates Airlines operated two daily flights from Lagos, Nigeria, to Dubai and one daily flight from Abuja to Dubai.

Earlier this week President Bola Tinubu met with UAE leader Mihammed Bin Zayad Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi were both men ”finalized a historic agreement” according to a statement released by the Nigerian Government. The Government said that the agreement paved the way for the lifting of the visa ban including immediate resumption of flights between the two countries.

However, the UAE government said both leaders had ‘explored opportunities for further bilaterial collaboration” with the hope of ”reinforcing ties between the UAE and Nigeria” but did not mention lifting of visa ban or flights restarting in a statement by the UAE on Monday.

Ajuri Ngelale, the spokesman of Nigerian government said in a follow up that officials from both sides needed more time to finalize agreement details, contradicting his earlier statement. He said ”given the agreement struck between the two Heads of State, there is nedd to allow cabinet officials from both sides to work out the finer details and finalize the cross-sectoral agreements…everyone can now allow the process to work itself out organically, devoid of speculation.”

CULLED FROM CNN.COM

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