Nigeria, UAE End Faceoff Over Visa Issuance, Flight Operation

Nigeria has lifted the ban it placed on Emirates Airlines a week after the Federal Government placed the United Arab Emirates airline on no-flight ban. Nigeria government lifted the ban following the decision by the United Arab Emirates to start issuing visas to Nigeria.

Nigeria had been forced to ban Emirates Airlines on September 18, 2020, when the United Arab Emirate banned flights from Nigeria. In response, Emirate flights were grounded within the country in retaliation.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had announced that Nigeria will reciprocate the flight ban on countries that ban flights from Nigeria. Recall that a global lockdown occurred in the aviation industry around February and March, but countries have been relaxing the ban placed on foreign flights.

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However, some countries have continued with the flight ban despite Nigeria relaxing its international flight ban. This prompted the Nigerian government to adopt the principle of reciprocity to all countries that still have Nigeria on flight ban.

But with the United Arab Emirates' decision to start offering visas to Nigerians, Sirika said Emirates Airline will resume operation once Nigerians start receiving visas, "UAE has written to state that they agree to issue visas to Nigerians, consequently decision has been reached to allow Emirates to fly into Nigeria.

"Commencement of the Visa issuance is condition precedent. Please bear with this unusual situation. Many thanks,” Sirika said in a Twitter post on Wednesday.