Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has said that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will soon announce the lifting of the visa ban on Nigerian travelers.
Keyamo made the announcement at the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) welcome dinner in Dubai.
He told journalists that the UAE visa denial issues have been settled, with a formal announcement expected soon.
He said: “The issue of visas has been resolved; just the announcement remains. They want to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. The announcement will be made in a couple of weeks.
“The UAE is considered a very important partner in Nigeria. Nigerians have a lot of stakes here in the UAE, with a lot of investments.
“What we are doing is making sure that we make it easy for millions of Nigerians who have put a lot of pressure on us to ensure that we open up this route again.
“Second, to make the visa application easier. I am sure you can see how I was received here. That is to tell you how they value Nigeria.
“I was on the same ride with the ruler of Dubai, the minister, the head of Emirates Group, and all the top shots of Emirates. There was no other person given that privilege here.
“That is to tell you how much they value us, and they want Nigeria to see it in that light. They have opened up again to us. They have started to trust us again, and I want to say thank you to them. I will take it from here on.”
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