The Federal Government of Nigeria has lifted the ban it placed on flights coming from India to the country.
The Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, made this known on Sunday via a new travel protocol which shows that the ban has been lifted.
Meanwhile, the sanctions placed on airlines that convey passengers from restricted countries and travelers who are non-Nigerians stand.
According to him, "non-Nigerian passport holders and non-residents who visited Brazil, Turkey or South Africa within 14 days preceding travel to Nigeria, shall be denied entry into Nigeria. This regulation, however, does not apply to passengers who transited through these countries."
The federal government had since banned passengers, who visited India, Brazil, South Africa, and Turkey in the last 14 days from entering the country as part of precautionary measures to contain the virus in the country.
"Airlines who fail to comply shall mandatorily pay a penalty of $3,500 defaulting passenger, and non-Nigerians will be denied entry and returned to the country of embarkation at a cost to the Airline; Nigerians and those with a permanent residence permit who visited Brazil, Turkey, and South Africa within 14 days preceding travel to Nigeria shall be made to undergo seven days of mandatory quarantine in a Government approved facility at the point-of-entry city and at a cost to the passenger," Mustapha added
He stated further that passengers must perform a COVID-19 PCR test not more than three days before boarding, from exit country. Saying, that the PCR tests done more than 72 hours before departure are not valid and persons will not be allowed to board.
Airlines have been directed not to board passengers with non-PCR COVID-19 tests such as antigen/or antibody tests, a positive COVID-19 PCR test result, or tests performed beyond 72 hours of boarding.
“Airlines that board passengers without any of the TWO documents (a negative COVID-19 PCR test done not more than 72 hours prior to boarding and a Permit to Travel Certificate/QR code), shall be sanctioned as follows: passengers, who are Non-Nigerians, will be refused entry and returned to the point of embarkation at a cost to the airline;
“Passengers who are Nigerians or holders of a permanent residence permit will be allowed entry but subjected to the procedure outlined in Section D.
“In addition, passengers arriving with forged (fake) COVID-19 PCR results shall be referred for prosecution; airlines shall be fined $3,500 per passenger.”
Mustapha re-emphasized that "passengers arriving in Nigeria will be required to go through the routine Port Health screening and present electronic or print-out evidence of pre-boarding COVID-19 PCR test and the Permit to Travel Certificate/QR Code as well as present their international passports for clearance through the Nigerian Immigration Service System’s Migrants Identification Data Analysis System."
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