The United States Embassy in Nigeria has clarified that its recent decision to shorten visa validity for most Nigerian nonimmigrant applicants is not politically motivated and is unrelated to Nigeria’s stance on deportees, its affiliation with BRICS, or its adoption of e-visa policies.
In a statement released Thursday, the U.S. Mission addressed growing speculation that the policy change was a response to Nigeria’s diplomatic positions. The Embassy emphasized that the revision is part of a broader global review aimed at enhancing security and standardizing visa practices.
“This reduction is not the result of any nation’s stance on third-country deportees, introduction of e-visa policies, or affiliations with groups like BRICS,” the statement read.
“It is based on technical and security criteria and applies to multiple countries, not just Nigeria.”
The clarification follows comments by Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, who recently rejected a U.S. request for Nigeria to accept 300 Venezuelan deportees, including some with criminal records. In an interview with Channels Television, Tuggar criticized the request as unreasonable, especially given Nigeria’s socioeconomic challenges.
“We have enough problems of our own; we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria,” he stated.
“Instead, we are focused on forging economic partnerships with the U.S., particularly in areas like gas, critical minerals, and rare earths.”
The U.S. Embassy stressed that the decision was part of a comprehensive security review of global visa practices to safeguard the U.S. immigration system.
Earlier this month, the U.S. introduced more restrictive visa terms for Nigerian nationals. Under the new policy, most nonimmigrant, non-diplomatic visa applicants — including those seeking business and tourist visas — will receive single-entry visas valid for three months, replacing the previously longer durations.
Despite the change, the Embassy reaffirmed America’s commitment to its partnership with Nigeria and expressed a willingness to collaborate with Nigerian authorities to expand visa validity in the future, once relevant benchmarks are met.
