Emmanuel OchayiPresident Bola Tinubu left New Delhi, India early Sunday morning for Abu Dhabi to meet with the President of United Arab Emirates and other senior government officials to build upon recent discussions between the two nations and address key bilateral issues.
UAE authorities banned Nigerians from visiting their country last year in October following many reported cases of violent crimes said to involve Nigerians. The visa restriction is also not unconnected with the trapped cash of Emirates Airline which is put at over $ 300 million according to aviation industry sources.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has not been able to meet the demands of many foreign Airlines to repatriate funds due to the foreign exchange crisis Nigeria has been facing in the last couple of years.
The discussions are seen as a crucial follow-up to a recent visit by the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, where fruitful conversations took place at the State House in Abuja.
The President’s visit to Abu Dhabi will provide an opportunity to delve deeper into these issues and strengthen diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the UAE.
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President Tinubu is expected to focus on resolving lingering bilateral matters while utilizing the stopover to further his investment promotion objectives with influential figures from both the public and private sectors in the UAE.
This move follows his successful participation in the G-20 Summit and a productive investment drive in the region.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President for Media and Publicity, emphasized that the President’s visit to the UAE underscores Nigeria’s commitment to fostering strong international relationships and advancing its economic interests.
“The President is to address lingering bilateral issues while maximizing the opportunity of the stopover to equally advance his investment promotion objectives with high-level authorities in the public and private sectors of the United Arab Emirates.”
After the bilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi, President Tinubu is scheduled to return to Abuja promptly, with high expectations of further cooperation between the two nations on various fronts.
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