The Nigerian presidency has clarified that contrary to recent reports, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is yet to lift the visa ban on Nigeria.
Africa Today News, New York reports on Tuesday were rife, indicating that the ban had been lifted. But the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President Bayo Onanuga who the report was attributed to has clarified that the ban is yet to be lifted
“UAE has not resumed visa issuance to Nigerians. The document in circulation is not authorised either by the Nigerian government or the UAE,” Onanuga posted on his X handle on Tuesday evening.
The UAE had in October 2022 banned Nigerians and citizens from 19 other African countries from entering its borders.
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Following the move, the country’s authorities issued a notice to travel agents and trade partners to reject all applications.
Owing to the ban, both countries’ authorities have been in diplomatic logjam about travel restrictions.
In another report, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has asserted that Nigeria’s decision to accept grains from war-torn Ukraine does not mean the country is weak or a failed state.
Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the last election, Mr Peter Obi, had, in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), described Ukraine’s grain donation to Nigeria as disheartening.
The minister, responding while speaking at the Leadership Annual Conference and Award 2023 on Tuesday in Abuja, reiterated that “Egypt gets about 60 percent of its grains from Ukraine. The fact that Egypt gets about 60 percent of its grains from Ukraine does not make it a failed state.
“The fact that we are having challenges at the moment does not make Nigeria a failed state.
“Therefore, accepting grains from Ukraine does not make Nigeria or Egypt failed countries.
“It is a normal thing because countries exist to depend on one another.”
The event was organised by the Leadership Group, publishers of Leadership Newspapers.