Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, announced the lifting of the embargo on Friday night, claiming that the suspension was withdrawn after Emirates Airlines’ onerous criteria against Nigeria were removed.

Sirika stated that the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 had worked relentlessly to achieve this goal and that the letter from Emirates Airlines consenting to the less rigorous requirements had arrived on Friday.

Dr. Mukhtar Muhammad, the national incident manager of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, also spoke at the briefing, saying that the negotiations were for the sake of the country and that both Nigeria and the UAE did everything they could to safeguard their nationals.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) director-general, Musa Nuhu, has stated that Emirates airline will resume flying operations in and out of Nigeria soon.

During a briefing of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Nuhu stated that negotiations with the airline were ongoing and that the conclusion will be announced soon.

“As regards the issue of emirates airline resumption of flight to Nigeria, the PSC deliberated extensively on this matter and the gap has been significantly closed between the position of Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said Nahu

“They have met some of our requirements and we are just waiting for one confirmation,” he said.

The Nigerian government barred the airline from operating in the nation in March due to its reluctance to fly passengers without undergoing a pre-boarding rapid diagnostic test (RTD).