The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, yesterday stated that discussions between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on visa and flights issues are still on-going and yet to reach the level of lifting visa restrictions and that when both countries complete discussions, they would issue a joint statement.
This is contrary to earlier report that the UAE had lifted the visa ban after President Tinubu met with UAE’s President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi
The CNN also reported yesterday that a UAE official who asked not to be named said: “There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far.”
Last October, the UAE banned visa issuance to citizens from Nigeria and 19 other African countries. Flights between both countries were also stopped last year after Dubai’s Emirates airline suspended its operations in Nigeria citing trapped revenues.
Air Peace that was using the Nigerian BASA slot to UAE also pulled out of the route because of the visa ban.
Tuggar in exclusive interview with Arise TV yesterday, described the on-going discussions between the two countries as partnership aimed at calming frayed nerves” that will be followed by a decision and “joint statement at the end of the day.”
Tuggar said moves to lift the visa ban is still a work in progress: “It’s still an ongoing process, it’s a partnership, it’s repairing otherwise frayed nerves, if you will, for lack of a better phrase, and it’s better that whatever we do, we do in partnership with the UAE, so, I will not want to dwell too much on what is going on there or from our own side. So, there will be, I’m sure, joint statements that will clarify everything that has transpired and is unfolding, but it is positive.”
Tuggar then spoke on President Tinubu’s visit to the United Nations General Assembly, where he will be addressing the 78th Session of the high-level UNGA General Debate at the UN headquarters in New York.
The minister said: “It’s going to be President Tinubu’s maiden address at the United Nations. So, it’s quite significant. He’s going to set the tone of his administration.
“I will expect that he will introduce his 8-Point agenda, which actually corresponds for the most part with the goal of the United Nations. Tinubu’s agenda includes food security, poverty eradication, access to capital, inclusivity, fighting corruption, and others, overlap with the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
THISDAY
