During a telephone conversation with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the Emir of Abu Dhabi, Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari called for the lifting of the blanket visa ban on Nigerians by the UAE government. President Buhari urged his counterpart to review the visa ban and stressed the excellent relations between the two countries over the years. The President acknowledged consular issues relating to the behaviour of some Nigerians in the UAE and explained that Nigeria would apply necessary sanctions against anyone found guilty of criminal acts in the UAE. President Buhari also requested a resumption of Emirates Airline’s operations in Nigeria, and the UAE leader was assured that the issue of repatriating Emirates’ funds was receiving appropriate attention from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In addition, President Buhari emphasized the need to sustain the excellent relationship between the two countries, noting that the mutual exchange of ideas and cooperation has led to significant progress in various areas of national development in Nigeria.
President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on his part, thanked President Buhari for his condolences and noted the historical ties between the two countries. He expressed the hope that the issues that had strained relations between the two countries would be resolved soon.
The Emir of Abu Dhabi also expressed appreciation for the positive steps being taken by the Nigerian Government to address the concerns of UAE and its citizens in Nigeria.
In response to President Buhari’s request for the resumption of Emirates Airline operations in Nigeria, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan promised to look into the issue and explore ways to address it.
The two leaders agreed to work together towards strengthening bilateral relations and to continue consultations on issues of mutual interest.
The conversation between President Buhari and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is seen as a positive step towards resolving the diplomatic issues that have strained relations between the two countries in recent times.
