PBA ReporterThe controversial red list imposed on Nigeria and some other African countries by the United Kingdom might be scrapped again just weeks after it was introduced.
Prime Business Africa previously reported that South Africa’s reported case of a new COVID-19 pandemic named Omicron Variant compelled dozens of countries, including the UK, Canada, and others to impose travel bans on many African countries including Nigeria.
Also, the emergence of Omicron forced thousands of travellers into hotel quarantine at a cost of £2,285 per person for ten days.
This is coming just a fortnight after 11 African nations were slapped on the list after the emergence of Omicron.
The fortnight after the list was introduced, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is said to have convinced colleagues it should be replaced with testing for the fully vaccinated.
Also, Boris Johnson had promised to re-examine the policy amid claims it was unfair and ineffective.
Meanwhile, the return of the red list was met with fury from officials in affected African countries, while travellers complained of six-hour journeys to their hotel and ‘grim’ food.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed that the UK, Canada, and Saudi Arabia would be put on Nigeria’s travel ban on Tuesday.
Sirika explained that the federal government would place a travel ban on the UK, Canada, Argentina and Saudi Arabia as a retaliation for the travel restriction on Nigeria.
The minister disclosed the federal government would restrict airlines coming from Canada, the UK and Saudi Arabia into Nigeria.
According to him, the decision is to reciprocate restricted flights from Nigeria into those countries over the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.
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