The Nigerian government has expressed concerns over the reported cancellation or revocation of visas for Nigerians by the United States Government. This comes amid the increasing frustration that Nigerians are seeking US visas, as the authorities have not advanced any reason for this decision.
In a Wednesday statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the federal government said the US government has not advanced a formal reason for the cancellation or revocation.
Dozens of Nigerians were reportedly asked to submit their passports at the US Consulate in Lagos and the Embassy in Abuja, only to have their visas discreetly revoked.
Olufemi Soneye, a Nigerian and former Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) spokesman, was the first to bring this vexed issue to the public domain in a widely circulated piece last week.
Reacting to this development on Wednesday, Ebienfa said, “It is pretty unfortunate, and the ministry expresses concerns over the Nigerians’ frustrations.
“We will continue to engage the American authorities on the matter. We wish to state, however, that approval and cancellation of visas is the prerogative of the issuing state.”
When this report was filed on Wednesday, the US authorities had yet to respond to inquiries to ascertain the main reasons behind the new policy against Nigerians.
However, a source within the embassy said that the action was part of President Donald Trump’s moves to provide security to Americans, stressing that the increased vetting includes all of the more than 55 million foreigners with valid US visas, not just Nigerians.
The US mission noted that visas were being cancelled in cases where foreign visitors—including foreign students—overstayed their lawful period of admission, engaged in criminal activity, or provided material support to a terrorist organisation.
The Trump administration in the US appeared to have tightened its policy against immigrants ostensibly to tackle insecurity in the US and keep Americans safe.
In July, the US Department of State announced updates to its reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy, which affected several countries, including Nigeria.
The State Department, in a statement, said that effective immediately, most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerian citizens will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.
According to the statement, those U.S. non-immigrant visas issued before July 8, 2025, will retain their status and validity.
Then in August, the US mission in Abuja, in a message on X, its official social media handle formerly known as Twitter, mandated Nigerian visa applicants to disclose their social media profiles and activities in the last five years, stressing that failure to comply with the requirement could lead to denial of entry into the US.
The Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has maintained that the country’s citizens are being targeted because Nigeria refused to accept Venezuelan prisoners demanded by Trump.
