Nigeria reiterates the commitment to strong diplomatic ties with us, Arab Emirates united between the visa line – Thage

By Ayo Kehinde

Nigeria expressed commitment to maintain strong diplomatic ties with the United States and the United Arab Emirates following recent changes to the policies for issuing the visas that affect the Nigerian citizens.

A declaration by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special consultant for information and strategy, said that the federal government is actively involving the ministries, departments and relevant agencies to face the concerns raised by both countries.

In its official communication, the government of the United States has mentioned two main reasons for its new visa rules: a high rate of Visa has overcome Nigerian citizens and the need for better access to identity registers. The move, he said, is part of its revision of the reciprocity of the global routine visa and affects factors such as the number of allowed items and periods of validity of the visa.

Onano, in response, said that President Bola Tinubu has ordered all the competent federal agencies to ensure that Nigeria meets its international obligations, in particular in improving the identity verification processes for the Nigerians in search of consular services abroad. He also urged the Nigerians to respect the immigration laws of their host countries and maintain the integrity of their travel permits.

On the situation with the United Arab Emirates, Omanuga said that the Federal Government noted that while there was no official notification of a new visa policy, the emission of transit visas to the Nigerians seemed to resume gradually and orderly. He added that President Tinubu welcomed the continuous cooperation of the government of the United Arab Emirates, noting his constructive commitment with the Nigerian authorities, ensuring citizens that any authentic issues raised would be resolved through diplomatic channels.

The president reiterated the commitment of his administration to guarantee the rights and dignity of the Nigerians abroad in the framework of the 4-D foreign policy, which includes a strong attention to the commitment of the diaspora.