Business
Emirates Returns to Nigeria Airspace in Grand Style ▪︎ Lauds FG, Aviation Authority
Emirates international airline, has resumed passenger services to Lagos, Nigeria, with a daily service.
The official delegation onboard was led by Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Central Asia; David Broz, Senior Vice President of Aeropoliticaland Airline Industry Affairs and Sami Aqil Abdullah, Senior Vice President Emirates Airport Services Outstation and Business Support.
The official delegation from Nigeria onboard the flight included His Excellency, Festus Keyamo, Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria; His Excellency, Zayyan Ibrahim, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Dubai and the Northern Emirates and Adewale Babtunde Awolesi Head of Chancery, Consulate General of Nigeria.
Soon after it landed, the airline hosted an exclusive event for VIPs, government officials, key representatives from Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Customs, Police and the Airforce, as well as trade and industry partners and corporate clients.
Commenting on the return of services, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline said, “This has been a long-awaited moment, and we are excited to resume operations to Lagos, helping reconnect travellers seamlessly to and through Dubai, coupled with a consistent, world-class experience onboard.
We would like to thank the Nigerian authorities, including the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, as well as the UAE authorities including His Excellency Salem Saeed Al Shamsi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Abuja, Nigeria and His Excellency Dr Abdulla Almandoos, Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Lagos, for their support.
“We are committed to making this route a success and look forward to contributing to the Nigerian aviation industry’s growth and offering travellers and businesses more choice and connectivity to key destination across our network.”
His Excellency, Festus Keyamo, Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria said: “We are pleased to welcome Emirates back to Nigeria.
Emirates has become a global brand and Nigeria, being the most populous black nation in the world, is the sure destination for all major airlines in the world.
“So, this is a mutually beneficial relationship and we look forward to many years of seamless operations for the designated airlines of both countries to ply the route.”
EK783 departs Dubai at 0945hrs, arriving in Lagos at 1520hrs; the return flight EK784 takes off from Lagos at 1730hrs and lands in Dubai at 0510hrs the following day. The daily service has been scheduled to optimise connections to and from key points in Europe, the US, the Far East and the wider Middle East and GCC, streamlining business and leisure travel to and from Nigeria.
The Dubai-Lagos service is operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight First class suites, 42 Business class seats and 304 economy class seats, with added comforts and perks in each cabin class.
Strengthening business links between UAE and Nigeria
With the resumption of operations to Lagos, Emirates provides frictionless connectivity to one of Africa’s major economic hubs, facilitating global trade and strengthening business ties, in line with the UAE and Nigeria’s strong bilateral trade relations.
Emirates SkyCargo will support Nigerian businesses by offering more than 300 tonnes of bellyhold cargo capacity in and out of Lagos every week, into key markets such as UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Bahrain, among others.
Anticipated commodities such as Kola Nuts, food and beverages, and urgent courier material will be transported via the airline’s state-of-the-art hub in Dubai, quickly, efficiently, and reliably via the airline’s multi-vertical specialized product portfolio.
Imports into Nigeria are anticipated from key markets such as UAE, India and Hong Kong, with key commodities including a mix of general cargo, pharmaceuticals and electronics.
The Dubai-Lagos service is operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight First class suites, 42 Business class seats and 304 economy class seats, with added comforts and perks in each cabin class.
Emirates is one of only two airlines offering First Class in and out of Lagos, and offers an unrivalled experience with luxurious touches, a premium gastronomic selection of dishes and fine beverages, and one of the biggest screens in the sky, all in midst of comfort and privacy.
Offering the best experience across every class, passengers will dine on regionally inspired multi-course menus, complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages.
Customers can tune in to over 6,500 channels of global entertainment, including 23 Nigerian movies, series and other content on ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.
To support travel to Dubai or onwards, Emirates will also facilitate 48 hour and 96 hour Dubai visa applications for travellers from Nigeria, an offer which is exclusive to the airline.
Celebrating the resumption of services, Emirates award-winning loyalty programme, Skywards, reinstated previous tier status levels for Skywards members to ensure continuation of earned benefits and recognition.
Business
BUA Chairman Rabiu shares South Africa visa entry denial experience at Africa CEO Forum
Rabiu said the experience highlighted the difficulties Africans still face when travelling within the continent despite ongoing talks about African integration and economic cooperation.
The founder and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, has recounted how he was denied entry into South Africa after his visa expired a day before his trip, while European travellers were reportedly allowed into the country without visas.
Rabiu shared the experience on Thursday while speaking on “Africa at Scale: Capital, Policy and the Architecture of Growth” at the ongoing Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.
He said that the incident occurred in February 2025 when he travelled from Lagos to Cape Town for the Mining Indaba conference.
He said that immigration officials stopped him on arrival after discovering that his visa had expired the previous day.
Rabiu explained that he and his team spent about four hours at the airport before he was eventually returned to Lagos.
“I take full responsibility because my visa had expired and my crew failed to notice it before the trip,” he said.
However, the businessman said that he became concerned after noticing that passengers arriving on multiple flights from Europe were allowed into South Africa without visas while he, as an African, was denied entry.
“While we were waiting at the immigration desk, there were about three international flights from Europe. Most of the passengers were Europeans, and they all entered Cape Town without visas,” he said.
Rabiu said the experience highlighted the difficulties Africans still face when travelling within the continent despite ongoing talks about African integration and economic cooperation.
“I did not have a problem with being returned because I had no valid visa. My issue was being an African in Africa and being denied entry, while foreigners from other continents were allowed in freely without visas,” he said.
He called for reforms in visa and immigration policies across the continent, stressing that Africa cannot achieve meaningful economic integration while Africans continue to face barriers moving within African countries.
Business
At Africa CEO Forum, President Tinubu Highlights “Partnerships That Moves Africa Forward”
“With our metals, we can produce batteries for cars. The private sector brings capital and expertise, but government must de-risk and create the enabling environment. That partnership is how Africa moves forward”.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a panel session at the ongoing Africa CEO Forum, called for “Partnership that can move Africa forward.”
He advocated an “Africa First” approach to development, insisting that African resources should primarily benefit the continent through local processing and manufacturing.
“We don’t want scavengers and extractors. We want partners who process and manufacture locally,” said President Tinubu.
He said that his administration’s policies were positioning Nigeria as an open and competitive destination for investment.
“In Nigeria, we’ve attracted nearly $20 billion in direct investment this year because we are efficient, transparent, and open for business,” President Tinubu said.
President Tinubu attributed the inflow to reforms aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and investor confidence in the country.
He said that Nigeria would no longer permit the export of raw minerals without local value addition, noting that the country possesses the capacity to manufacture products such as electric vehicle batteries from its mineral resources.
He said: “With our metals, we can produce batteries for cars. The private sector brings capital and expertise, but government must de-risk and create the enabling environment. That partnership is how Africa moves forward”.
Presidential hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, has reiterated the critical role of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in driving Nigeria’s economic growth and reducing unemployment.
Obi made the remarks on Tuesday following a series of meetings in London with stakeholders in British politics and the business community, including Jonathan Marland, Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC).
According to Obi, discussions with Lord Marland focused on prospective trade opportunities, economic advancement, and strategies for promoting small businesses across Nigeria.
Drawing comparisons with rapidly developing economies such as China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, Obi stressed that sustainable economic growth and job creation can only be achieved through deliberate support for MSMEs.
The former Anambra State governor maintained that small businesses remain the backbone of the economy and called for stronger policies aimed at boosting development and creating employment opportunities, particularly in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
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