Renowned broadcast journalist, Oseni Rufai, has drawn attention to the restrictive measures imposed on Nigerians by some countries.
Taking to his X handle on Thursday, Rufai stated that Ethiopia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have recently revoked several visa privileges previously granted to Nigerian passport holders.
He further noted that these changes include the discontinuation of visa-on-arrival, e-visa, and outright passport issues.
He wrote, “Ethiopia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have stripped Nigerian passport holders of previous privileges they enjoyed, including visa-on-arrival, e-visa and outright passport issues.
“Turkey no longer allows Nigerian passport holders to obtain its e-visa, which used to be a seamless process enjoyed by citizens in the past. In 2022, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) banned nation- als of Nigeria and a few other African countries from entering its capital city, Dubai. Despite several interventions of the Nigerian government, the visa ban is yet to be lifted.
“Though Festus Keyamo, aviation minister, said the UAE will lift its ban on Nigerians in October, nobody knows whether this will come to fruition.”
Rufai also noted that Ethiopia stopped issuing visas on arrival to Nigerians two years ago and has not reversed this decision. He added that since 2022, airlines have advised passengers to obtain their visas from the Ethiopian embassy in Abuja before travelling.
READ ALSO: Alleged ₦432bn Theft: El-Rufai Sues Kaduna Assembly Over Probe Report
He said, “Similarly, Ethiopia stopped issuing visa-on-arrival to Nigerians two years ago and has refused to reverse it till date. Airlines have, since 2022, issued circulars to passengers advising that they obtain their visas at the Ethiopian embassy in Abuja before travelling.
“Bolanle Olukanni, daughter of Ambassador Ayoola Olu- kanni, former Nigerian Commissioner to Australia between 2011 and 2015, recently lamented that her parents were denied visas because of the fear they would not return.
“Olukanni, who shared her frustration with having a Nige- rian passport via her X handle on Monday, said her father, who was a retired ambassador and lived in Austria for three years, was denied a visa alongside his mum over fear of absconding.”
He added that “Bolanle Olukanni, daughter of Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni, former Nigerian Commissioner to Australia from 2011 to 2015, recently shared her frustration on social media about the difficulties of holding a Nigerian passport. She revealed that her parents were denied visas due to concerns that they might not return. Despite her father being a retired ambassador who lived in Austria for three years, both he and her mother were denied visas. Olukanni expressed her disappointment on her X handle, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by Nigerian passport holders.”
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
