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By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reportedly lifted the ban on flights from Nigeria.
It was gathered that the reversal of the ban took effect on Saturday, March 5, 2022.
According Saudi Gazette, the country’s Ministry of Interior announced the resumption of direct flights to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia, Madagascar, Angola, Seychelles, United Republic of Comoros, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Afghanistan.
Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, also confirmed the lifting of the flight restriction.
“Saudi Arabia has lifted the suspension of direct flights from Nigeria and other 18 countries,” Ahmad wrote on Twitter.
Saudi Arabia had, in December 2021, suspended all flights from Nigeria in the wake of the outback of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
The Federal Government had in January 2022 asked Saudi Arabia to lift the ban.
Zubairu Dada, inister of state for foreign affairs, made the request when he met with Faisal bin Ibrahim Al-Ghamdi, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Nigeria.
“Nigeria has understood fully the reason for the ban by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia was for the best interest of its citizens,” the minister had said.
The federal government had in January 2022 asked Saudi Arabia to lift the ban.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada, made the request when he met with Faisal bin Ibrahim Al-Ghamdi, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Nigeria.
“Nigeria has understood fully the reason for the ban by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia was for the best interest of its citizens.
“But the steps taken so far by Nigerian authorities to curtail the spread of the Omicron variant have made it possible for many countries to consider Nigeria as safe, removing Nigeria from the blacklisted countries,” the minister had said.