Tinubu set to met UAE leaders over visa, diplomatic row today. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is to meet with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates by 5 pm UAE time, in an attempt to resolve the Emirate Airline flight suspension of Nigeria, visa ban and othe diplomatic issues today.

The New Minister of Aviation and Aerospace management, Festus Keyamo, had travelled to the Middle-East country to meet with the President who had a stopover after exiting the G20 summit in India.

He was therefore interviewed, by a correspondent from PUNCH , where he Festus Keyamo, SAN confirmed that he travelled on Sunday night and that officials of the two countries will meet by 5 pm today.
“I am in Abu Dhabi to join Mr President to sort out the twin issues of Dubai visas and Emirates flights to Nigeria. The two leaders are meeting today by 5 Pm,” the minister said.

It was reported that that UAE imposed a visa ban on the Nigerians in October 2022, shortly after Emirates Airlines suspended flights to Nigeria. They took the move in response to Nigeria’s failure to send billions of dollars in trapped funds.

Air peace, which was also operating in Dubai similarly suspended its flight as the UAE stopped the issuance of visas to prospective travelers.
The president hosted Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Nigeria at Aso Rock last month, he had directed that issues affecting relations with the Emirates Airline, and issuance of visas to Nigerians should be “immediately” resolved, emphasizing that he stand’s prepared to “personally” intervene.

”We are a family in the UAE, we only live in separate rooms, but we are in the same house. We should look at the issues as a family problem, and resolve it amicably. As you know in every family, there are peculiarities. You have an erring son or daughter, but we must work together. We need to agree on core aviation and immigration issues,” the president had said.

  1. on Sunday, Ajuri Ngelale l, the Presidential spokesman, announced that president Tinubu would meet the UAE authorities over the issue.