Ethiopia ‘bans’ visa on arrival for Nigerians
The Ethiopian government has reportedly imposed a visa on arrival ban on Nigerians.
Stakeholders said the ban which came into effect on Tuesday October 4 would create travel problems in Ethiopia.
Daily Trust reported that the management of Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia’s national carrier, informed travel partners of the new development.
Prior to the said ban, passengers traveling to Ethiopia or transiting through the country from Nigeria could easily obtain a visa on arrival (VOA) by traveling to Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa.
According to the publication, a memo sent by Ethiopian Airlines to travel partners read;
“Please note that there is no longer an immediate visa on arrival for Nigerian citizens.
“Passengers must obtain their visa from the Ethiopian Embassy in Abuja before travelling. Please note: Passengers transiting overnight in Addis Ababa are not affected by the ban. For example, passengers with a stopover in Addis to travel the next morning to Zanzibar, Seychelles, Lusaka, Lilongwe, Harare, Cape Town, etc. are not affected by the ban and do not need a transit visa for their travels.
The chairwoman of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Ms. Susan Akporiaye, however, told the publication that the information she had obtained from a senior Ethiopian Airlines official was that the problem was not had not been confirmed.
A travel agent who spoke about the development said;
“We are still studying the development. We contacted some Ethiopian Airlines officials, although they did not deny it, but they said it was not confirmed yet.
