By Funmilayo Akinyemi
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has appealed to the Government of United Arab Emirates (UAE), to relax its tight visa policy imposed on Nigerians.
Keyamo also advocated for more flexible visa conditions to enhance travel and boost economic ties between the two countries.
He made the appeal during a high-level meeting with UAE’s Minister of Economy, Abdulla Bin Touq Al’Marri, at the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Global Implementation Support Symposium (GISS).
The Minister emphasised the importance of strengthening relationship between Nigeria and the UAE, with a focus on expanding codeshare agreements and interlining opportunities for Nigerian airlines.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to work closely with the UAE to implement these agreements effectively, ensuring that both nations maximised the economic and operational benefits of this strengthened partnership.
Responding the UAE Minister, Touq Al’Marri, commended Keyamo for always keeping his words.
“Let me say this on camera now, the Nigerian Aviation Minister is a man who keeps his words and for us, that’s everything,” he said.
Both Ministers later signed the amended Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to solidify mutual aviation ties between the two countries.
