This archive report was first published on 23 August 2020.
On August 28, 2020, Nigeria's aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, announced plans to bar entry to nationals of countries that do not allow Nigerians to enter, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Sirika, a reciprocal ban on travel will apply to both airlines and citizens, as the country prepares to reopen its airports to international flights on August 29, for the first time since March.
Speaking on a Zoom call with airline and travel industry representatives, Sirika stated, “If they ban both the passengers and the carriers together, then that’s what’s going to happen.”
However, a day earlier, a spokesman for Sirika had clarified that the reciprocal ban targeted landing rights for aircraft, rather than citizens. Sirika later clarified that completely reciprocal measures were a matter of fairness to Nigerians.
