Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to hold discussions in the coming days to address challenges faced by Nigerians seeking visas to travel to the UAE. This decision was reached during a meeting between the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Alshamsi, and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in Abuja.
The minister highlighted the strong diplomatic ties between the two nations, noting that Dubai has become a popular destination for Nigerians. She revealed that approximately 12,000 Nigerians reside in the UAE, including students, professionals, and unskilled workers. In 2015 alone, nearly one million Nigerians visited the UAE, spending between $100 million and $150 million on visas and over $1 billion on shopping, tourism, and other activities.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasized the need to balance the economic relationship, which she described as currently one-sided. She expressed concerns over recent difficulties in obtaining UAE visas, even for top government officials, and called for clarity on the UAE’s visa policies. She also urged the UAE to consider Nigeria’s significant investments in property, tourism, and education in the country.
The minister proposed hosting a joint commission in Nigeria to address bilateral issues such as power, renewable energy, and other areas of cooperation. She also thanked the UAE for its recent donation of relief materials to support flood victims in Nigeria and vaccines for chickenpox patients.
In response, Ambassador Alshamsi congratulated Odumegwu-Ojukwu on her appointment and reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to strengthening ties with Nigeria. He disclosed that over 700 tourism visas had been issued to Nigerians since July 2024, with no rejections during his tenure. He attributed visa processing delays to an appointed agent handling private applications and pledged to resolve the challenges faced by Nigerian visa seekers.
The ambassador also mentioned plans to finalize additional agreements between the two countries ahead of a potential visit by the UAE President to Nigeria in the second quarter of the year. He emphasized the importance of collaboration and mutual understanding in addressing any disagreements.
Both parties expressed optimism that the upcoming discussions would lead to improved visa processes and stronger economic partnerships, benefiting citizens of both nations.
