Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will within the coming days meet to resolve points regarding visa procurement by Nigerians looking for to journey to the nation.
The choice was reached when the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Alshamsi, paid a courtesy go to to the Minister of State for International Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in her workplace on the Tafawa Balewa Home, Abuja.
Nigerians presently expertise difficulties in acquiring UAE visas particularly tourism visas.
The minister acknowledged the nice and cozy diplomatic relations and strategic partnerships that Nigeria has had with the United Arab Emirates, noting that Nigeria has remained devoted of their relationship.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said that the Metropolis of Dubai within the UAE has grow to be a vacation spot of option to many Nigerians. Formally, about 12,000 Nigerians stay within the UAE, starting from unskilled employees to professionals and college students in varied establishments throughout the nation.
In response to her, in 2015 alone, virtually one million Nigerians visited the UAE, particularly Dubai, they spent between $100m-$150m on visas alone, and over $1billion, totally on buying sprees, unique of quantities spent on merchants’ items, cost of faculty charges, tourism and different associated financial actions.
From the foregoing, the minister mentioned that it was clear that the financial relations between each international locations had been predominantly one-sided, therefore there was must discover areas of collaboration that can improve “our financial pursuits.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu mentioned: “There have been quite a few issues concerning the standing of visa for the UAE. Even some prime authorities officers are nervous and so they increase the issues. Is there a brand new visa coverage for UAE? You have to let Nigerians know. We have to know what to inform our citizenry. Nigerians have invested massively in property in UAE, internet hosting conferences and tourism.”
Persevering with, the minister disclosed that one other joint fee between the 2 international locations was due after the one hosted by the UAE in 2022.
“We wish to reciprocate by internet hosting the joint fee in Nigeria. There are a number of bilateral points corresponding to energy, renewable power and the remaining issues that we have to deliberate.
“We hope that with the joint fee, we can deal with these MOUs that haven’t been handled. And we are going to obtain loads,” the minister mentioned.
Moreover, the minister thanked the UAE for the big consignment of aid supplies it not too long ago donated to help flood victims throughout the nation, and vaccines for rooster pox sufferers to help Nigeria’s well being establishments.
In his remarks, Ambassador Alshamsi congratulated Odumegwu-Ojukwu on her current appointment as Minister of State at the same time as he expressed delight over the achievements recorded within the Nigeria-UAE relations in over 50 years.
The Ambassador disclosed that he had for over one and half years he assumed duties in Abuja issued visas to authorities officers and personal individuals, explaining that an appointed agent dealt with visas for personal candidates.
He gave his dedication to addressing the difficulties confronted by Nigerian visa seekers in addition to optimizing the assorted MOUs signed by each international locations to foster totally different financial partnerships and the promotion of commerce and funding.
“We’ve elevated visa issuance via the agent. I’ve zero visa rejection since I got here to Nigeria. Since I arrived a 12 months and half in the past, I ensure that I difficulty visas. We’ve issued over 700 tourism visas from July 2024.
“Typically, we would disagree on some points, however there may be nothing private. However we might nonetheless resolve and agree. We wish you to see us as a part of your group, we’re companions.
“We’ve signed three or 4 agreements and would quickly signal one other main settlement. We should try to signal extra agreements earlier than our President’s go to to Nigeria within the second quarter of this 12 months.
“However we’d maintain a gathering to resolve these points,” the envoy assured.
