Presidency makes a U-turn, says UAE yet to resume visa services

Presidency makes a U-turn, says UAE yet to resume visa services 

The Presidency says the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is yet to resume visa services for Nigerian citizens.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, refuted the viral document in an update on his “X” page on Tuesday, March 5.

He said, “UAE has not resumed visa issuance to Nigerians.

“The document in circulation is not authorized either by the Nigerian government or the UAE.”

Ironically, Onanuga had earlier stated in a post on his X page hinted that the UAE had resumed visa processing with effect from Monday March 4, 2024.

In October 2022, the UAE implemented a ban on citizens from about 20 African nations from entering its borders.

The affected countries are Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Comoros, and the Dominican Republic.

The Emirati authorities issued a notice to trade partners and travel agents, instructing them to reject all applications.

Since the ban, the UAE and Nigeria have been embroiled in a diplomatic dispute concerning flight allocations and travel restrictions.