Nigerian President Calls for Resolution of Dispute with Emirates Airlines

The spokesperson for Nigerian President Bola Tinubu stated yesterday that the president has directed the resolution of disputes with Emirates Airlines and an issue related to the immediate issuance of visas by the UAE. Tinubu's office issued a statement on Thursday saying that he met with the UAE ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al Shamsi, and that Tinubu is prepared to intervene "personally" in the conflict. In the statement, Tinubu said, "We must work together. We need to agree on fundamental issues of aviation and immigration." The statement quoted Al Shamsi as saying, "We have come to some agreement. These are minor issues, all within the family, and they will find their way to a solution." The UAE suspended the issuance of visas for Nigerians last year after Emirates Airlines in Dubai halted its flights due to difficulties in obtaining its funds from Africa's largest economy. Emirates Airlines stated in March that it had "significant" revenues held in Nigeria and that it had made slow progress in recovering the blocked funds. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) stated in March that Nigeria is holding at least $743 million of revenues earned by international airlines operating in the country. Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, is facing a foreign currency shortage despite some reforms.