The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy has distanced itself from an article published by African Travel Times on July 12, 2025, titled “A Bitter Irony: UAE’s Sanctions Undermine African Trust After Africa-Backed Win for UN Tourism Role.”
The Ministry made it clear in a statement personally signed by the Minister on Thursday, that the views expressed in the article do not represent those of the Honourable Minister, the Ministry, or the Federal Government of Nigeria.
It emphasised that Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) maintain strong and positive relations, especially in tourism and cultural collaboration.
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The ministry added that contrary to claims in the article, there has been no official notice of any changes to the UAE’s visa policy, and visa processing for Nigerians is ongoing without disruption.
The Ministry dissociated itself from the publication and called on the publishers to retract the article to avoid diplomatic misrepresentation.
It said Nigeria remains committed to fostering peaceful and respectful international tourism partnerships.
