Nigerians living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have said that the lifting of the visa ban on Nigerian travellers by the oil-rich Arab nation has brought back hope and light to them.
They explained that before Monday when the ban was lifted, many of them with work permits feared being forced to return to Nigeria.
They praised President Bola Tinubu for reaching a pact with his UAE counterpart, Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan that led to the development.
Tinubu was also hailed yesterday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, for the end of the 10-month visa ban.
Two of the Nigerians residing in the UAE said that many did not understand that there is a direct correlation between the visa ban and work permit.
One of them, Oluwadeji, who has lived in UAE for over two decades, said that when the ban was announced, a new visa and work permit policy came into being.
He said,
“There is a new visa issuance and labour card renewable terms for people working in UAE. Many Nigerians have temporary work permits that last for two years. For those working in a free zone, it used to last for three years but now, everything is two years.
“That means that at each point in time when your contract ends, you have to renew the labour card and visa. Those whose visas or cards have expired have to go home.
“The visa ban affected so many families, people lost jobs and means of livelihood. Even professional workers like doctors, etc. were affected.
“Everything here is like a chain. When you have a visa that is what you will use to open an account, get an apartment and driving licence. When your visa is not renewed, it means that your account will be closed because you can’t update anything about yourself and family.
“When companies place adverts for positions, they boldly warn that Nigerians should not apply because they know they(Nigerians) can’t renew their visas.”
“The lifting of the visa ban has brought great relief to those living and working in UAE.”
Another Nigerian, Afeez Adeniji, explained that before the visa ban, the UAE government had in August 2021 stopped work permit issuance to Nigerians.
Adeniji, a logistics businessman and a member of the UAE chapter of the Yoruba in Diaspora, said the ban complicated the woes of many Nigerians in the country.
He said,
“In August 2021 UAE stopped issuing Labour permits to Nigerians, This gives most Nigerians concern. Since then, most Nigerians have been out of jobs. Some even had to leave the country to avoid illegal stay.
“When the UAE took another step by stopping issuing tourist visas to Nigerian nationals, we knew that it had become a more serious issue.”
He also thanked President Tinubu “for saving the situation.”
“We thank him (Tinubu) for exemplary leadership to dialogue with the UAE authorities to solve the problem of ordinary citizens of Nigeria in the United Arab Emirates.”
In Abuja, Senate President Akpabio described the lifting of the visa ban as a socio-political showpiece.
He said,
“I have always had confidence in the ability of President Bola Tinubu to turn around the fortunes of our dear nation and this singular achievement has once more rekindled my hope and that of millions of Nigerians in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.
“I must confess that President Tinubu’s engineering of the process that led to the lifting of the visa ban on Nigerians by the government of UAE is an act of genius and of course, a magnum opus.
“It smacks of a clear-cut economic and political policy capable of launching Nigeria into the comity of leading nations with a high rate of Ease of Doing Business.”
