There are ripples in the travel industry following the decision of the Ethiopian government to ban visa on arrival (VOA) for Nigerian travellers visiting the “Horn of Africa” country.
The development which took effect on Tuesday is expected to create some hiccups in travel to Ethiopia, according to stakeholders.
The management of Ethiopian Airlines, the national airline of Ethiopia, had informed travel partners of the new development.
Daily Trust reports that Ethiopian Airlines is one of the popular foreign airlines in Nigeria, operating into five destinations.
Before, passengers travelling to Ethiopia or transiting through the country from Nigeria could easily obtain a visa on arrival (VOA) on getting to Bole International Airport, Addis-Ababa.
But this would no longer be the case as prospective travelers are expected to get ET visa at its embassy in Abuja, according to the new rule.
In a memo sent to travel partners, Ethiopian Airlines said, “Please be informed that effective immediate No More Visa on Arrival for Nigerian citizens.
“Passengers are to obtain their visa at the Ethiopian Embassy in Abuja before traveling. Please note that: Passengers transiting overnight in Addis Ababa are not affected by the ban. E.g. passengers having layover in Addis to travel the next morning to Zanzibar, Seycheles, Lusaka, Lilongwe, Harare, Cape Town, etc are not affected by the ban and do not need transit visa for their trips.”
However, a travel agent who spoke with Daily Trust said there was no confirmation yet on the new development.
He said, “We are still studying the development. We have reached out to some officials of Ethiopian Airlines, though they did not deny it but they said it is not confirmed yet.”
When contacted, President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mrs. Susan Akporiaye also said the information she got from a senior official of Ethiopian Airlines was that the issue had not been confirmed.