Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are expected to meet to resolve issues relating to visa procurement by Nigerians seeking to travel to the country.
The decision was reached when the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria, SALEM SAEED ALSHAMSI, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador BIANCA ODUMEGWU-OJUKWU, in her office at the Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.
The minister stated that the City of Dubai in the UAE has become a destination of choice to many Nigerians, noting that in 2015 alone, almost a million Nigerians who visited the UAE, especially Dubai, spent between $100m-$150m on visas alone, and over $1billion, mostly on shopping sprees, exclusive of amounts spent on traders’ goods, payment of school fees, tourism and other related economic activities.
From the foregoing, the minister said that it was clear that the economic relations between both countries were predominantly one-sided, hence there was need to explore areas of collaboration that will enhance “both countries’ economic interests.”
In his remarks, Ambassador ALSHAMSIcongratulated ODUMEGWU-OJUKWU on her recent appointment as Minister of State, even as he expressed delight over the achievements recorded in the Nigeria-UAE relations in over 50 years, assuring of his commitment to addressing the difficulties faced by Nigerian visa seekers as well as optimizing the various MOUs signed by both countries to foster different economic partnerships and the promotion of trade and investment.
