The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the Federal Government and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are working towards resolving visa-related challenges faced by Nigerians traveling to the UAE.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this following a meeting with the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Salem Alshamsi.
She acknowledged that despite the strong diplomatic ties and strategic partnerships between both nations, many Nigerians, especially tourists, have encountered difficulties in obtaining UAE visas.
“Nigeria remains committed to its relationship with the UAE, and Dubai has become a preferred destination for many Nigerians,” she stated.
According to her, official records indicate that around 12,000 Nigerians reside in the UAE, including professionals, students, and unskilled workers.
She also highlighted that in 2015, nearly a million Nigerians visited the UAE, spending between $100 million and $150 million on visa fees alone, while overall expenditures on shopping, tourism, education, and other activities exceeded $1 billion.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasized the need for a more balanced economic relationship between the two countries and noted that even high-ranking Nigerian officials had raised concerns about the visa restrictions.
She also pointed out that a joint commission between Nigeria and the UAE was overdue, with the last session hosted by the UAE in 2022.
Expressing gratitude to the UAE for its recent donation of relief materials to flood victims and vaccines for chickenpox patients in Nigeria, the minister stressed the importance of clear communication regarding any new visa policies.
“We hope to host the next joint commission in Nigeria, where we will discuss key bilateral issues, including power and renewable energy,” she added.
In response, Ambassador Alshamsi congratulated Odumegwu-Ojukwu on her appointment and praised the progress made in Nigeria-UAE relations over the past five decades.
He noted that visas for government officials and private individuals had been processed in the last year and a half through an appointed agent.
“We have issued more than 700 tourism visas since July 2024, and since I assumed office, there have been no visa rejections,” Alshamsi stated.
He assured that the UAE remains committed to resolving the visa challenges and strengthening economic cooperation.
Additionally, he revealed that both nations are working on signing new agreements, with a major one expected to be finalized ahead of the Nigerian president’s visit to the UAE in the second quarter of 2025.
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