Abuja: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to address visa procurement challenges faced by Nigerians traveling to the UAE. The development follows a meeting between the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Salem Alshamsi.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs. Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted the ongoing difficulties Nigerians encounter in obtaining UAE visas, particularly for tourism, despite the strong diplomatic ties and strategic partnerships between the two nations. She noted that Dubai has become a favored destination for Nigerians, with approximately 12,000 Nigerians residing in the UAE, including unskilled workers, professionals, and students.
In 2015, nearly a million Nigerians visited the UAE, mainly Dubai, spending significant sums on visas, shopping, education, tourism, and other activities. The minister emphasized the importance of establishing a more balanced economic relationship between Nigeria and the UAE and expressed concerns about the current visa status, which even some Nigerian government officials have highlighted.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu mentioned the possibility of a joint commission between the two countries, following the last one hosted by the UAE in 2022. She also expressed gratitude to the UAE for its recent donation of relief materials to flood victims in Nigeria and vaccines for chickenpox patients, supporting Nigeria’s health sector.
The minister stressed the importance of clearly communicating any new visa policies to Nigerians and expressed the desire to host the next joint commission in Nigeria to address various bilateral issues, including power and renewable energy.
Ambassador Alshamsi congratulated Odumegwu-Ojukwu on her appointment and praised the progress made in the 50-year relationship between Nigeria and the UAE. He acknowledged that both government and private individuals had been issued visas over the past year and a half, with the process managed by an appointed agent.
Alshamsi assured that the UAE is committed to resolving the visa challenges faced by Nigerians and emphasized the mutual objective of fostering stronger economic partnerships. He noted that more than 700 tourism visas had been issued since July 2024, with no rejections since his tenure began. Alshamsi also mentioned plans to sign further agreements to enhance bilateral ties, with a significant agreement expected before the Nigerian president’s visit to the UAE in the second quarter of 2025.