The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is in celebratory mood after the United Arab Emirates, UAE, on Monday, lifted the visa ban and other aviation embargoes against Nigeria, following intervention by President Bola Tinubu.
The deals were reached after after the meeting between President Tinubu and the UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi.
CKN News reported that another landmark agreement at the meeting between the two leaders was the immediate resumption of flight schedules. This affects both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines into and out of Nigeria. Read the full story HERE.
Reacting on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Keyamo said President Tinubu had made his job easier.
He wrote: “Special thanks to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for personally leading our delegation to end this impasse with the UAE.
“All credit goes to him. His Midas touch during the discussion was crucial. He just made my job easier!”
The deals
Meanwhile, on the President’s X platform, Tinubu listed the outcomes of the meeting with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
President Tinubu said: “Together (with Al Nahyan) we are committed to building bridges and long-lasting friendship.
“As part of our discussions, the following have been reached:
*Immediate lifting of the visa ban placed on Nigerian travelers by the UAE.
*Resumption of flight schedules into and out of Nigeria by Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines, without any immediate payment required from the Nigerian government.
*An agreed framework for new investments worth several billions of U.S. dollars into the Nigerian economy by the UAE government. It covers multiple sectors including defense and agriculture.
*A joint, new foreign exchange liquidity programme between Nigeria and the UAE, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.
*A commitment to normalize and enhance the relations between the two countries. Fostered by the collaboration between myself and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”