
Nigeria’s rejection of a United States’ request to take in asylum seekers is a key reason behind the recent visa restrictions slapped on the country by President Donald Trump, TheCable reports.
This was revealed by credible diplomatic sources who stated that Nigeria’s refusal to sign a controversial agreement to host asylum seekers from the United States played a major role in triggering the visa clampdown announced by the Trump administration.
It was learned that the US has reportedly been pressuring several countries, especially in Africa and Central America, to serve as temporary dumping grounds for migrants and asylum seekers whose applications are pending in the U.S., a process that can drag on for as long as seven years.
This was also corroborated by the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.
Tuggar said Nigeria has enough challenges of its own and won’t be a dumping ground for Venezuelan prisoners deported from the US amid Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migrants.
He said, “The issue of tariffs may not necessarily have to do with us participating in the BRICS meeting. You have to also bear in mind that the US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prisons.
“It would be difficult for countries like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own; we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria. We already have 230 million people.”
On Tuesday, SaharaReporters reported that immigrants would now face stricter visa rules as the U.S. Department of State had announced new restrictions affecting several countries, including Nigeria.
Under the new policy, which took effect immediately, most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerian citizens will be valid for only three months and will allow a single entry.
The U.S. Department of State stated that the policy shift is expected to impact thousands of Nigerian students, businesspeople, tourists, and families who frequently travel to the U.S. for various purposes.
“Effective immediately, most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period,” it said.
Those who already hold valid U.S. non-immigrant visas issued before July 8, 2025 will not be affected, as their visas will retain their original status and validity.
The latest changes also cover other countries as the U.S. continues to review its global visa reciprocity arrangements.
The statement said, “We wish to underscore, that as is standard globally, visa reciprocity is a continuous process and is subject to review and change at any time, such as increasing or decreasing permitted entries and duration of validity.”
However, the Tinubu Presidency has dismissed claims that it has stopped issuing 5-year multiple-entry visas to U.S. citizens, describing such reports as fake news and misinformation.
In a statement on Thursday signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, the Presidency clarified that the administration never halted the long-standing visa arrangement with the US, which remains guided by existing bilateral agreements and the principle of reciprocity.
According to the statement, immediately after assuming office, President Tinubu’s administration issued a directive that Nigeria must implement all its bilateral agreements with other nations and uphold reciprocity in diplomatic relations.
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