No more visa rejections for Nigerians – UAE envoy

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, has disclosed that visa restrictions have been eased for Nigerians. The UAE’s Ambassador to Nigeria disclosed this during a visit to Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, according to her spokesperson, Magnus Eze, in a statement on Sunday. Al-Shamsi also explained that there were no longer visa rejections for Nigerian nationals travelling to the UAE. According to him, no fewer than 15,000 Nigerians travelled to the UAE in the last year. He said Nigeria’s bilateral relations with his country will soon receive a boost as First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) opens in Lagos, adding that the UAE’s leading carrier, Etihad Airways, will commence operations in Abuja this year. Nigeria holds its relations with the UAE in the highest esteem, and the two countries have maintained warm, cordial, and mutually beneficial diplomatic ties since 1971. Economic relations between the two countries have remained robust and dynamic, especially in non-oil trade, driven by strong trade flows, investment partnerships, and people-to-people exchanges. The Ambassador applauded his country’s relationship with Nigeria, noting that non-oil trade between them grew from $ 4.3 billion in 2024 to $ 5 billion in 2025. He projected that it may hit about $ 8 billion in 2027. The envoy stated that his country stands firmly with Nigeria in its fight against terror and has issued at least eight statements to date condemning terrorist attacks in Nigeria. On her part, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said both countries are working towards the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which they had signed. The Minister noted that CEPA will transform economic ties between the two nations and deliver tangible benefits for Nigerian businesses, professionals and workers. Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu said that Nigeria remains firmly committed to creating an enabling environment for Foreign Direct Investment, including from UAE-based sovereign wealth funds and private sector entities. The minister was gratified that, through sustained dialogue and engagement, visa issues had been significantly addressed, and that over 15,000 Nigerians had visited the UAE after the easing of restrictions. “I am restating the commitment of Nigeria to mutual diplomatic ties with the UAE. We remain committed to working together to continue moving our bilateral relations from strength to strength,” she stated.