President Muhammadu Buhari announced the move on 12 December Twitter saying:

“Nigeria is committed to supporting the free movement of Africans within Africa. Yesterday at the Aswan Forum in Egypt I announced that, in January 2020, we will commence issuance of visas at the point of entry into Nigeria, to all persons holding passports of African countries.”

The Arboretum offers a refreshing retreat away from the urban frenzy and is home to more than 300 exotic tree species and more than 100 types of bird. Just ten minutes from the city centre, its markets and museums, and 45 minutes from the airport, the hotel is ideally situated for guests to explore the city and is the ideal base for day trips and safaris.

Tim Cordon, Senior Area Vice President, Middle East & Africa, Radisson Hotel Group, said: “We are thrilled to open the doors of our third hotel and first extended stay product in Nairobi. Nairobi is the economic powerhouse of East Africa and is large enough to offer multiple Radisson Hotel Group hotels, including residences. Adding our third hotel in Nairobi is in line with our strategy of adding depth to our focus countries with multiple properties and multiple product offerings. The residence is the first internationally branded extended-stay product in the city and complements our other properties in Nairobi; Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi Upperhill and Park Inn by Radisson Nairobi Westlands.”

The hotel’s 122 rooms and suites feature contemporary interiors, private balconies, upscale amenities and exclusive services like free Wi-Fi, individual climate control and 24-hour room service. They range in space between 20-133sqm, boasting splendid views of the glistening pool or lush park and garden – all set in a prime location, minutes from the heart of the city. Guests can relax and recharge in the hotel’s expansive spa, sauna, steam rooms, swimming pool and fitness centre. The hotel also offers all guests secure underground parking, in a safe location surrounded by a tranquil environment.

The hotel introduces Africa’s first Firelake Restaurant, the Radisson Hotel Group concept, which is a comfortable and sophisticated retreat offering all-day dining. For a warm beverage, Arborista offers speciality coffee and tea. Guests can also enjoy snacks and refreshing drinks at the Lounge Bar as well as the Infinity Pool Bar.

Offering the best venue for tailor-made meetings and events experiences, the hotel also provides an enhanced outdoor option at the Arboretum park. The hotel’s functional venues offer 500sqm of meetings and events space that are designed to host up to 200 guests. All meeting rooms have natural light and the latest audio-visual equipment to create a memorable gathering.

Gerard Moutou, General Manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence, Nairobi Arboretum, said: “We are delighted to welcome our guests to our eco-friendly hotel, tucked away in a leafy forest area, just a few minutes away from the business demand generators and city centre. The combination of our tranquil surroundings, passionate team and renowned Yes I Can! hospitality, we are the perfect base for business and leisure guests enjoying a short or long stay in our stylish hotel rooms or residential apartments.”

Read more about Nairobi – a year-round escape here: https://blog.radissonblu.com/nairobi-a-year-round-escape/

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed earlier this week that the South African government had granted Air Peace the approval to commence flight operations to Johannesburg.

Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace, confirmed that the airline would commence flight operations as soon as possible to promote air transportation between Nigeria and South Africa.

The agreement according to the ministry was signed at the 9th session of the Nigeria/South Africa Bi-national Commission Summit in Pretoria on September 27.

The joint commission was established in 1999 to encourage bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Health Ministry issued a press statement signed by its director of media, Boade Akinola, saying that the new e-Yellow card, which was introduced in August 2017, will become the only valid document proof of vaccination against Yellow Fever from that date.

The statement quoted the permanent secretary of the ministry, Abdulaziz Abudullahi, as describing the new card as an electronic version with enhanced security features verifiable anywhere in the world.

This, he explained, can be done by scanning the bar code or checking the card number on the yellow card portal.

“The introduction of the new e- Yellow card, otherwise known as International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), is to address the issue of fake ‘yellow cards’ which has hitherto constituted a source of national embarrassment.”

Importance of yellow card

The yellow card is a small rectangular booklet given to people who have been vaccinated against Yellow Fever.

Yellow Fever is a communicable disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. The “yellow” in the name refers to the jaundice that affects some of the patients.

The symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, jaundice, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. The disease is endemic in tropical areas of Africa and Central and South America.

Nigeria is still battling to eradicate the disease as new cases resurfaced in the country in 2017.

Yellow Fever is vaccine preventable. A single dose is sufficient to confer sustainable immunity and a lifelong protection against the disease.

Once an individual is vaccinated, the person is expected to be given the yellow card as evidence of vaccination.

The initiative was announced today by Mr Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group, in support of the ‘Well of Hope’ water security initiative launched during the Holy Month of Ramadan by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. 

Globally, more than 844 million people lack access to clean drinking water, equivalent to one in every 10 people on earth. Each day, over 800 children under five years of age die due to consumption of contaminated water or exposure to poor health conditions.

Mr Douglas said construction of the water wells in select locations of Nigeria, Mauritania and Sierra Leone would begin by the end of 2019 as part of Etihad’s commitment to humanitarian aid through its Corporate Social Responsibility program. “Etihad Aviation Group is committed to supporting or initiating campaigns for the betterment of communities in need, and water security is a critical issue,” said Mr Douglas. “This initiative reflects our recognition of this crisis, and our commitment to contribute in a small way to a practical solution.” Last week, hundreds of Etihad employees ‘pumped’ 20,595 litres of water through a virtual pumping device, as part of the ‘Well of Hope’ water security initiative of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, which has committed to match the virtual water volumes achieved by 20 private or public organisations in the UAE with an equivalent amount of clean water in needy remote communities.

Set to open in 2022, the new property will be situated in Upper Hill, a popular business district in the city of Nairobi. With 200 hotel rooms and 100 hotel apartments, the upcoming hotels will be operated under the “Rotana Hotels & Resorts” and “Arjaan hotel apartments by Rotana” brands.

The agreement for the new hotel comes a month after Rotana signed up for its first property in the Republic of Zambia. The planned five-star hotel is scheduled for opening in 2021 in the heart of the south-central African country’s capital city Lusaka. When opened, the new properties in Kenya and Zambia will join the company’s portfolio of operating hotels in the African continent that includes Al Salam Rotana, Khartoum, Sudan; Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana, Kinshasa, DR Congo; and Grand Rotana Resort & Spa, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Commenting on the agreement, Nasser Al-Nowais, Chairman, Rotana, said: “Setting foot in Kenyan market with a five-star hotel and hotel apartments is closely aligned with our vision of strengthening Rotana’s presence in Africa and bolstering our global portfolio further. We will continue to seek new opportunities to offer Rotana’s branded accommodation on the continent that is increasingly becoming popular among tourists and corporate travellers from around the world. On behalf of Rotana, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Mullion Contractors Limited for placing their trust and confidence in our abilities to manage the upcoming hotels.”

Selim El Zyr, Vice Chairman, Rotana, added: “With its promising economic growth projections of around 6 percent, Kenya remains one of Africa’s most buoyant markets and thus offers bright prospects for the hospitality sector. The signing of the hotel management agreement for a new hotels in Nairobi’s thriving business district is a key milestone for Rotana. We are optimistic that this strategic step will fuel our ambitious expansion drive in the African continent.”

Offering guests with all the comforts and the luxury for a pleasant and memorable long stay experience, both hotels in Nairobi will feature key hospitality offerings, including signature dining restaurants, executive lounge, ballroom, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, and generous indoor and outdoor space thoughtfully designed for formal and informal gatherings. Other amenities will include pool and terraces, as well as a fully equipped fitness & wellness club.

The new hotel and hotel apartments will bring Rotana’s total inventory in Africa to 2,028. With an eye to capitalizing on the potential of the continent’s burgeoning market for the hospitality sector, Rotana has planned new hotels in Angola, Mauritania, Nigeria and Tanzania which are scheduled to open by 2022.

A significant number of scheduled Emirates flights will be impacted by the closure of Dubai International Airport’s Southern Runway for maintenance work between 16 April and 30 May 2019.

Given the limitations around operating flights using a single runway at its hub, many Emirates flights will be cancelled, re-timed or have the operating aircraft changed in order to reduce impact on customers. This will result in up to 48 Emirates aircraft not being utilised, with a 25% reduction in the overall number of flights operated by the airline during the 45-day period.

2019 network adjustments

Emirates will deploy additional flights to several markets in Africa starting in June 2019. The additional services will satisfy the increased demand that the airline has witnessed in these markets, and will offer customers even more seamless connections between these destinations and Emirates’ global network through Dubai. Cities in Africa that will be served by additional Emirates flights include:

Casablanca, Morocco: Emirates will operate a second daily flight starting 01 June 2019 to Casablanca. The service will be operated by Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft which will complement the airline’s existing daily Airbus A380 flight.
Abuja, Nigeria: Three additional flights will be operated every week on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to Abuja starting 01 June 2019 increasing the frequency to the Nigerian city to a daily service.
Accra, Ghana: Emirates will also augment its current flight frequency to the Ghanaian capital with four additional Boeing 777-300ER flights a week bringing Emirates’ total service to 11 weekly flights to Accra effective 02 June 2019.

Conakry, Guinea and Dakar, Senegal: The capitals of Guinea and Senegal will be serviced by one additional linked flight every week starting 01 June 2019 on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Multiple destinations across Europe will also be served by additional Emirates flights during peak travel season leading up to and lasting through the summer of 2019. These destinations include:

Athens, Greece: Emirates will deploy a second daily flight to Athens between 31 March and 26 October 2019. The service will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft between 31 March and 15 April 2019 and between 01 October and 26 October 2019. During the busy summer months from 31 May to 31 September, Emirates will deploy its Airbus A380 aircraft to meet additional demand. Emirates will not operate the second daily flight during the period of closure of Dubai Airport’s Southern Runway (16 April – 30 May 2019).
Rome, Italy: The Italian capital will be served by three daily Emirates flights between 31 March and 26 October. The third additional flight, operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, will be suspended during the Dubai Airport Southern Runway closure.
Stockholm, Sweden: Emirates will provide additional capacity to Sweden during July and August 2019 with a double daily service on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. This will allow additional passengers to travel to and from the Swedish capital during the peak summer season.
Zagreb, Croatia: As part of the strategic partnership between Emirates and flydubai, Emirates will once again begin operating its Boeing 777-300ER daily to Zagreb from 31 March until 26 October 2019. The daily service will be reduced to four times a week during the Dubai Airport Southern Runway closure.

In order to meet increased seasonal passenger demand Emirates will be introducing its Airbus A380 aircraft to destinations including:

Boston, USA: Emirates’ customers travelling to Boston will be able to experience the world’s largest commercial aircraft famed for its Onboard Lounge accessible to First and Business Class passengers as well as the Onboard Shower Spas for First Class customers. Emirates’ A380 will operate to Boston between 01 June and 30 September 2019 and between 01 December 2019 and 31 January 2020 to accommodate the increased seasonal demand in travel to the US East Coast.
Glasgow, UK: Emirates will fly its flagship double-decker aircraft to Scotland for the first time between 16 April and 31 May 2019. The Emirates A380 daily service, with a total capacity of 489 seats, will replace the double daily Boeing 777-300ER service during the Dubai Airport Runway closure. From 1 June 2019 until 30 September 2019, Emirates will resume operating a double-daily service to Glasgow with one daily Boeing 777-300ER and one Airbus A380, offering additional capacity to meet increased travel demand during the summer season.

Emirates will also adjust its services into South America to optimise fleet utilisation. From 1 June 2019, the airline will deploy its newly refurbished two-class Boeing 777-200LR on its daily service from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro. Offering wider Business Class seats laid out in 2-2-2 format and refreshed seats in Economy Class, this service will continue from Rio de Janeiro to the Argentinian capital city of Buenos Aires four times a week, and on the remaining three days it will operate onwards to Santiago, Chile.

With this change, Emirates will suspend its linked flight from Dubai to Santiago via Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo will continue to be served with a daily non-stop Airbus A380 service to and from Dubai.

With a view to providing more efficient and direct connection options for customers travelling to and from Australia, Emirates will suspend flights EK 418/419 between Bangkok and Sydney from 01 June 2019. Emirates will continue to serve Sydney with three flights a day non-stop to Dubai, and Emirates’ customers wishing to travel between Bangkok and Sydney will have flight choices provided by Emirates’ partner Qantas.

Effective 31 March 2019, Emirates will suspend EK 424/425 and serve Perth with a once-daily Airbus A380 service non-stop from Dubai. Emirates customers travelling from Perth will continue to enjoy rapid two-way connections through Dubai to over 38 destinations in Europe, and a further 16 cities in Europe via Emirates’ codeshare partner flydubai. Customers will also be able to enjoy a seamless Emirates A380 experience between Perth and close to 20 destinations in Europe.

Under the agreement, passengers travelling on Emirates Economy Flex Plus and Emirates Economy Flex fares from more than 20 global destinations can now take advantage of special discounted airport rides from and to Dubai International Airport.

According to the airline, “the offer allows Emirates passengers traveling from Los Angeles, Houston, Washington, Chicago and New York in the United States; Amman in Jordan; Abuja and Lagos in Nigeria; Accra in Ghana; Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Sialkot and Karachi in Pakistan; Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in Brazil; Tokyo and Osaka in Japan; and Bologna, Rome, Milan and Venice in Italy, to redeem discounted rides on Uber when traveling to Dubai. The offer is valid for booking and travel from now until 10 December 2018.

“Passengers can enjoy seamless airport transfers in conjunction with Uber and get around town for less when flying with Emirates. Economy Flex Plus travellers can avail two free rides from and to Dubai International Airport from anywhere in Dubai up to the value of AED 120 per trip (or enter equivalent market currency), while Economy Flex passengers will get 50% off two rides, from and to Dubai International Airport to anywhere in Dubai up to the value of AED 60 per trip (or enter equivalent market currency). Passengers can avail the special offers by booking via the Emirates website during the promotional period. The Uber promotion code offer is currently also available for passengers visiting Dubai from Australia, South Africa, Egypt, France and Saudi Arabia, until 10 December 2018.”

Tim Cordon, Senior Area Vice President, Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Radisson Hotel Group, said: “2018 has been a record year for us in terms of growth in Nigeria, and we’re pleased to now have more than 2,000 rooms in operation and under development in this exciting market. We’re further delighted with these two new hotel openings and the introduction of two new brands to Lagos, a dynamic destination and one of Africa’s booming cities. We’ve seen Nigeria’s tourism sector continue to grow and make a significant contribution to the country’s GDP, while being one of its key employers. We’re thrilled to be playing a leading role in this growth.”

Radisson Hotel Lagos Ikeja, Nigeria

The hotel features 94 rooms that include standard and deluxe rooms, as well as spacious suites. The hotel has a restaurant serving locally inspired cuisine, a bar and a pool terrace. There are also three meeting rooms, a business centre, a special lounge for airline crew, a gym and swimming pool. Located in Ikeja, the capital of the Lagos State, the hotel is situated on Mobolaji Anthony Highway, the main highway linking Ikeja with the rest of Lagos. The international airport, which accounts for 50% of all air traffic in Nigeria is located 1km from the hotel.

Jaco Prinsloo, General Manager of the Radisson Hotel, Lagos Ikeja, said: “We’re delighted to open the first Radisson branded hotel in Lagos, Nigeria’s bustling capital. The hotel has a prime location next to one of Africa’s busiest airports, and we look forward to welcoming domestic and international guests. The team is ready to deliver our legendary Yes I Can! Service and create memorable moments for our guests.”

Park Inn by Radisson Serviced Apartments Lagos, Victoria Island, Nigeria

Also making its debut in Lagos is the fast-growing upper midscale brand, Park Inn by Radisson – opening serviced apartments on Victoria Island, the exclusive address to Lagos’ financial district. Located just off Adetokunbo Ademola Street, the main boulevard within Victoria Island, the hotel features 55 contemporary hotel apartments – offering views of the pool, waterfront or lively business district.

The hotel offers an international menu at Avalon Brasserie and an outdoor terrace for some al fresco dining. Guests can also enjoy refreshments at the hotel bar or small bites by the pool. Other facilities include a gym and a swimming pool, while the meeting and events space consists of two modern conference rooms and a boardroom – boasting a total capacity of 112 people.

All this culminated with the very recent announcement of hospitality stalwart Mark Willis, to take the helm of the Middle East and Africa as the Group continues to set the pace and grow from strength to strength.

AccorHotels is one of the largest operators in Africa with a network of over 150 hotels in operation, representing close to 27,000 rooms across 23 countries. Moving forward the Investment Fund, in partnership with Katara Hospitality, will underscore growth and development for the region, providing a platform for a combined network of organic and acquisition reach of 250 hotels by 2025.

Following the acquisition of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, which added over 50 hotels to the Group’s Middle East and Africa portfolio, including the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra and Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Nairobi, C-suite leadership was announced with Mark Willis as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for AccorHotels Middle East & Africa. With more than three decades of operational experience with leading hospitality groups, Willis spent over 12 years in the Middle East and Africa.

Speaking at the Regional Leaders panel at AHIF, Willis outlined the Group’s vision for Africa based on organic growth and development and a renewed focus on rebalancing AccorHotel’s presence in Africa with a focus on key cities and destinations in East and Southern Africa. He drew emphasis on the need for collaboration with local partners and to mobilize their expertise, intuitive knowledge and passion for community outreach, citing the Mantis Group as the perfect example of a hospitality leader in South Africa with genuine credentials in eco-tourism combined with wildlife conservation.

Over the course of the year, the Group also opened flagship properties and signed key projects, including the first Fairmont flag in Morocco with the opening of the Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech and the conversion of the ibis Styles Nairobi, complete with energetic design and a vibrant open-air rooftop lounge. Key signings included the combination Novotel and Adagio residences in Abidjan, Novotel Algiers, and two strategic projects in Lagos with the MGallery Ikoyi and Pullman Ikoyi. The Group also announced the first Pullman brand in Ghana to open in 2021 – Pullman Accra Airport City – a mixed-use complex with Pullman Living, a compelling extended stay solution in the premium market.