FG Vows Retaliation as US Tightens Visa Policy For Nigerians
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that the Federal Government of Nigeria, has vowed to implement reciprocal measures against the United States following Washington’s decision to tighten visa requirements for Nigerian applicants.
OTN News further reports as gathered that under the new US visa policy, Nigerian applicants must now disclose all social media handles, email addresses, phone numbers, and other online identifiers used within the past five years.
According to the US Mission in Nigeria, failure to comply could lead to visa denial and future ineligibility.
The Mission explained that the policy forms part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to strengthen national security. It builds on earlier regulations that required international student visa applicants to grant US authorities access to their social media accounts for vetting purposes.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that Abuja was briefed ahead of the announcement but stressed that reciprocity would guide the government’s response.
“On issues like this, the best we can do is reciprocal action. Some US citizens applying for Nigerian visas will be subjected to the same requirements imposed on our nationals," Ebienfa said.
He further disclosed that an inter-agency meeting involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) would soon be convened to determine the country’s next steps.
In addition to the disclosure policy, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has rolled out a stricter “Good Moral Character” requirement for naturalisation applicants.
The expanded rule goes beyond criminal records to cover day-to-day conduct, community involvement, tax compliance, and adherence to US social norms.
OTN News, however, observes that the new restrictions come on the heels of earlier measures affecting Nigerians, including the downgrading of most non-immigrant visas to single-entry permits valid for only three months.
Washington had justified the decision under its reciprocity policy, which allows it to align US visa rules with those applied by other countries to American citizens.
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