The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy has disowned a report by African Travel Times published on 12 July 2025, titled: “A Bitter Irony: UAE’s Sanctions Undermine African Trust After Africa-Backed Win for UN Tourism Role.”
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said in a statement that the views expressed in the article do not reflect the position of the Minister, the Ministry, or the Federal Government of Nigeria.
She stressed that Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoy cordial and mutually beneficial relations, especially in tourism development and cultural cooperation.
“We clarify that the Federal Government has not received any official communication regarding changes to UAE’s visa policy, and visa issuance for Nigerians is proceeding in an orderly manner,” she said.
The Ministry dissociated itself from the article’s claims and called on the publisher to retract the publication to avoid misrepresenting Nigeria’s diplomatic position.
“We reaffirm our commitment to international tourism cooperation and peaceful partnerships based on trust and diplomacy,” the Minister added.
PIAK