*President Secures Landmark Deal with UAE
After nearly a year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially lifted the visa ban imposed on Nigerian travelers.
This significant development follows a historic agreement reached between President Bola Tinubu and UAE’s President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday in Abu Dhabi.
Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, made this announcement in a statement on Monday.
Under this groundbreaking agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines will promptly resume their flight schedules into and out of Nigeria.
Importantly, there will be no immediate financial burden on the Nigerian government as part of this arrangement.
The statement also highlighted the economic implications of this landmark deal. As a result of President Tinubu’s economic development initiatives and proposals, an agreed framework has been established.
This framework will pave the way for substantial investments amounting to billions of U.S. dollars into various sectors of the Nigerian economy and these investments will encompass areas such as defense, agriculture, and more, facilitated by the investment arms of the UAE Government, Ngelale explained.
Furthermore, President Tinubu also successfully negotiated a joint foreign exchange liquidity program between the two nations and the Presidency said the full details this program will be disclosed in the coming weeks.
President Tinubu expressed his appreciation for the UAE President’s unwavering friendship and commitment to collaborating in order to fully restore and enhance the quality of relations between the two countries.
It’s worth noting that the UAE had previously banned nationals from approximately 20 African nations, including Nigeria, from entering Dubai in October. This decision had elicited various reactions, and President Tinubu had pledged to address the issue once elected, ultimately leading to this positive resolution.
