The United Arab Emirates has imposed new conditions for Nigeria to meet before normal flights will resume. It will be recalled that there has not been flights between both countries as a result of stringent covid-19 test requirements the UAE aviation authorities imposed on travellers from Nigeria. In a letter from the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Abuja issued yesterday with reference No.078/A/2021 among other things requested that number of passengers from Nigeria to the UAE must not exceed 200 passengers for inbound flight from Nigeria for two weeks and that only direct flights between both countries are allowed.
The letter read in part ” the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Abuja presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Protocol Department) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with reference to the Ministry Verbal Note No. K.521/2021 dated 16th February 2021 and the Embassy’s Note Verbal No. 049/A/2021 dated 23 February 2021.” The embassy has the honour to convey the response of the competent authorities in the UAE regarding the ongoing flight halt between the UAE and Nigeria as well as the travel requirements for travellers to the UAE.”
“The UAE Government has decided to remove the requirement for the Rapid Antigen test at the airports in Nigeria while demanding the following requirements “number of passengers on inbound flights to the UAE must not exceed 200 passengers for two weeks. Only direct flights between the UAE and Nigeria are allowed. Passengers need to present a valid negative PCR test conducted within 48 hours before boarding. Provide the embassy with updated list of the approved PCR test centres by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the importance of ensuring the accuracy of the passengers’ information, contact details and place of stay during their visit in UAE.” The federal government is yet to respond to the new conditions imposed by the UAE authority as at the time of filing this report. Stringent covid-19 test requirements by the UAE government forced the federal government to ban Emirates from operating flights out of the country.
