The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, welcomed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, on Monday, at his Abuja office.
Expressing concern during the meeting, Wike addressed the visa ban on Nigerians by the UAE government, expressing hope for a swift lift of the restriction to facilitate travel for Nigerians.
Acknowledging the tourism appeal Abuja has cultivated, Wike praised the city’s achievements and aspired for Nigeria to follow suit in promoting tourism.
Emphasizing the significance of the relationship between the two nations, the minister affirmed its importance in driving national development.
Wike committed to exploring additional avenues for collaboration between the Federal Government and the UAE to stimulate economic growth in Nigeria.
For his part, the ambassador explained that over the past months, the UAE government had been working to close some gaps and lift the visa ban on Nigerians.
Though he said the government had encountered some challenges that led to the stalling of the visa ban lift, he assured the minister that very soon, there will be good news.
