Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to hold discussions in the coming days to resolve challenges faced by Nigerians in obtaining UAE visas.
A press statement signed by Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Sunday, confirmed that the decision was reached during a meeting between the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Alshamsi, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, at the Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.
Many Nigerians, particularly tourists, have faced difficulties in securing UAE visas.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu acknowledged the strong diplomatic and economic ties between both countries, emphasizing that Nigeria has remained committed to the relationship.
She noted that the trade balance was largely one-sided, stressing the need to explore new areas of collaboration beneficial to Nigeria.
She said, “Dubai has become a destination of choice for many Nigerians. Officially, about 12,000 Nigerians live in the UAE, including professionals, students, and unskilled workers. In 2015 alone, nearly a million Nigerians visited the UAE, spending between $100 million and $150 million on visas and over $1 billion on shopping and other economic activities.
“There have been numerous concerns about the visa situation. Even top government officials have expressed worries. Is there a new visa policy for Nigerians? We need to know what to tell our citizens because Nigerians have made significant investments in property, tourism, and business in the UAE,” she added.
The minister disclosed that Nigeria was set to host another joint commission meeting, following the last one held in the UAE in 2022.
“We want to reciprocate by hosting the joint commission in Nigeria. There are several bilateral issues, including power and renewable energy, that we need to discuss. We also need to finalize outstanding Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs),” she stated.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also thanked the UAE government for its recent donation of relief materials for flood victims and vaccines for chickenpox patients in Nigeria.
On his part, Ambassador Alshamsi congratulated Odumegwu-Ojukwu on her appointment and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening UAE-Nigeria relations.
“I have been in Nigeria for a year and a half, and we have issued visas to both government officials and private applicants. We have increased visa issuance through an appointed agent, and since July 2024, we have issued over 700 tourism visas,” he said.
He assured that discussions would be held to resolve visa-related issues and optimize existing agreements between both nations.
“Sometimes we might disagree on certain issues, but it’s nothing personal. We will work together as partners to resolve them. We have signed three or four agreements and will soon sign another major one before our President’s visit to Nigeria in the second quarter of this year,” he added.
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM VERILY NEWS
