The lifting of travel restrictions on Nigerians by the United Arab Emirates and the resumption of flight operations between both countries after eleven months have been received warmly in Nigeria
The development, an outcome of President Bola Tinubu’s meeting with the leadership of the UAE is seen as a part of efforts to improve relations between Nigeria and its foreign partners
But aviation industry experts in Nigeria are cautioning that the relationship must be beneficial to all parties.
Nigeria’s relationship with the UAE has experienced its ups and downs since 2020 when the two countries disagreed over testing requirements under the COVID-19 protocol.
What followed were a series of back and forth over other issues.
Shortly afterwards was a travel embargo and restriction of visa issuance to Nigeria in response to the country’s failure to repatriate over $260 million belonging to Emirates airlines
By the time the Buhari government and his Aviation minister left office, the situation had gone quite sour and the door of resolution totally closed.
Less than 4 months into the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, what appeared a protracted problem has been resolved in his first visit to the UAE leader Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nayan
After the meeting, the Presidency through a statement told Nigerians that parts of the agreement reached include the immediate lifting of visa ban placed on Nigerians and resumption of flights between the two countries.
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Interestingly, while the statement issued by the Nigerian presidency after the meeting highlighted the two priority issues, the statement issued by the Emirates as reported by its news agency made no specific reference to the resolution of the issues at stake.
It expressed the Emirati leader’s “hope that the two leaders will work together to reinforce ties between the UAE and Nigeria for the benefit of both countries”
It also emphasized “the importance the UAE attaches to its relationship with Nigeria, within the framework of its strategic vision for relations with the African continent”
While many Nigerians have welcomed the move by Tinubu, some aviation analysts have faulted the President for not carrying airline operators in Nigeria and other key actors along.
Other agreements disclosed by the Nigerian President includes the successful negotiation of a joint, new foreign exchange liquidity programme between the two Governments to be announced in coming weeks and to fully reset to excellence, the standard of relations between the two important countries.
For Tinubu, it’s another diplomatic win in the bag.
(Editor Paul Akhagbemhe)
