A Nigerian professional based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mr. Michael Bassey, has appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in what he described as prolonged visa and work permit restrictions imposed on Nigerians, saying the situation has left him and his family stranded, unemployed and financially exhausted in Abu Dhabi.
Bassey, an indigene of Ikot Akpa Ekpuk Ndiya in Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, made the appeal in a social media message titled “Save My Soul” on Saturday. He called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Rt. Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; and the member representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ukpong Udo, to urgently intervene.
Narrating his ordeal, Bassey said he had worked legally in the UAE’s oil and gas sector for several years before sudden visa restrictions allegedly imposed on Nigerians disrupted his career and means of livelihood.
According to him, his professional journey in the UAE began in July 2015 when he secured employment with Zakum Development Company, an oil and gas firm in Abu Dhabi, after a competitive recruitment process.
“I was recruited through Al Nahiya Group and resumed duties on October 15, 2015, as a Supervisor in Logistics and Materials at an Artificial Island operated by Zakum. My visa, flight tickets and accommodation were fully sponsored by the company,” he said.
He explained that he returned to Nigeria in 2017 following a global crash in oil prices that led to downsizing, after which Zakum Development merged with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
In August 2018, Bassey said he was recalled to the same oilfield through another manpower firm, Speedy Assets International LLC, where he worked as a Materials Management Technician until 2020.
He further stated that in 2020, he was seconded through ADNOC Logistics and Services to Al Jaber Group, where he worked offshore as a Foreman in Logistics, Materials and Warehousing until 2022.
However, he said his challenges began in September 2022 after receiving a promotion offer through DULSCO, another manpower company, to serve as Supervisor of Logistics, Shipping and Warehouse at the same Central Artificial Island.
Bassey explained that he cancelled his existing visa in line with standard procedures to enable a new visa application, but the application was allegedly rejected several times.
“By October 2022, DULSCO informed me that my visa had been rejected more than three times. Later, I was told that Nigerians were no longer being issued work permits or residence visas,” he said.
He added that despite having no criminal record and years of verified service in the UAE, he has remained without a valid visa or salary since October 2022.
Speaking on the impact on his family, Bassey said all efforts to secure alternative employment had failed due to the same visa restrictions, noting that more than 36 months of unemployment and uncertainty had drained his life savings.
“I have spent all my life savings here believing the situation would change. Today, I can no longer afford rent or feed my family. My children’s education has been disrupted, and we struggle to access medical care,” he said.
Appealing directly to Nigerian authorities, Bassey urged NiDCOM and relevant government agencies to intervene by either resolving the visa impasse or assisting his family’s return to Nigeria.
“I am stranded in the UAE with my family and no means of survival due to visa restrictions against Nigerians. I am pleading for urgent assistance from the government,” he said.
He also called on the Federal Government to address the broader issue of work permit and visa restrictions affecting Nigerians in the UAE, describing the situation as a humanitarian crisis for many affected families.