No travel restrictions on Nigerians, UAE mission denies reports

The UAE Embassy in Nigeria has refuted media reports that claimed the UAE has imposed travel restrictions on Nigerian nationals.

However, the embassy said on its official Twitter handle that travel between the UAE and Nigeria remains limited due to the closure of Nigerian airspace to contain Covid-19. "The embassy in Abuja continues to work closely with the Nigerian Government to obtain the necessary approvals to facilitate travel between the two countries," it added.

"In response to recent Press and social media reports regarding purported travel restrictions between the UAE and Nigeria, and in an affirmation of the growing bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, the Embassy in Abuja denies the accuracy of the information contained in these reports," the tweet said.

The embassy's response comes in the wake of some Nigerian media and social media reports that claimed visa renewals and tourist visas for Nigerians have been discontinued.

Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UAE took a number of measures such as temporary suspension of regular international flights and issuance of new visas to all nationalities from March 17.

But the UAE has been easing restrictions after new cases of the virus dropped significantly and Dubai allowed tourists from many countries from July 7 under certain precautionary measures, including showing negative Covid-19 test results. This includes those visiting from Nigeria.

A number of Nigerians were stranded in the UAE following the suspension of flights and some of them have been repatriated with the help of Nigerian missions in the country. The UAE Embassy urged Nigerians to verify the authenticity of reports and seek information from official sources.