Relationship dossier
Nigeria
United Arab Emirates
Relationship assessment
Practical economic ties and restored air links follow a dispute over trapped funds and visa restrictions.
Nigeria toward United Arab Emirates
+20Nigeria engaged the UAE diplomatically in 2023 to resolve disputes affecting aviation and Nigerian funds held in the country. The resulting agreement helped pave the way for the restoration of Emirates service to Nigeria.
United Arab Emirates toward Nigeria
-5The UAE imposed visa restrictions affecting Nigerians amid a dispute, and Emirates suspended flights to Nigeria. Following 2023 talks with Nigeria, the UAE agreed to restore air links; Emirates resumed service in 2024.
Overall relationship
+5The relationship combines economic and aviation connections with a significant episode of friction over funds and visa restrictions. High-level talks in 2023 produced steps toward resolving the dispute, and Emirates resumed flights in 2024. The breadth and durability of cooperation beyond these developments are unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates have pursued practical economic and aviation ties, but relations faced a serious dispute over Nigerian funds held in the UAE and visa restrictions on Nigerians. President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 engagement with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed helped produce an agreement to restore flights and address the dispute. Emirates resumed service to Nigeria in 2024. The scope and implementation of broader bilateral cooperation remain unclear.
Areas of tension
- UAE visa restrictions affecting Nigerian nationals
- Dispute over Nigerian funds held in the UAE and Emirates flight suspensions
Key developments
Presidents Bola Tinubu and Mohamed bin Zayed reached an agreement intended to resolve disputes affecting aviation and Nigerian funds held in the UAE.
Emirates resumed flights to Nigeria after the countries reached an agreement to restore air links.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the 2023 agreement beyond aviation and the reported resolution of the dispute are unclear.
- Details of ongoing Nigerian government cooperation with the UAE are limited.