Segun Atanda/
The United States has placed Nigeria under partial travel restrictions, citing security concerns and high rates of visa overstays.
The decision was announced by the White House in a presidential proclamation issued on Wednesday, updating the list of countries subject to full and partial entry limitations into the United States.
Nigeria is among 15 countries, largely from Africa, now facing partial suspension of certain categories of travel. Others on the list include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Explaining Nigeria’s inclusion, the White House said militant groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State operate in parts of the country, creating what it described as significant challenges for screening and vetting travellers.
It also raised concerns about visa compliance. According to the US Overstay Report, Nigeria recorded a B-1 and B-2 visa overstay rate of 5.56 percent, while overstay rates for F, M and J visas stood at 11.90 percent.
In contrast, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic were placed under full travel restrictions, alongside South Sudan and Syria. The White House said the decision followed assessments of terrorist activity within those countries.
Existing full travel bans on nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen remain in place. Laos and Sierra Leone, previously under partial restrictions, have now been upgraded to full restrictions.
Defending the measures, the White House said it was the President’s responsibility to ensure that individuals seeking entry into the United States do not pose a threat to public safety.
It added that the restrictions are intended to prevent the entry of foreign nationals where there is insufficient information to properly assess security risks, enforce immigration laws or meet counterterrorism objectives.
In June, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a full travel ban on nationals of 12 countries and tighter restrictions on seven others, giving affected countries 60 days to meet specified US requirements. Nigeria was not included at the time.
However, pressure mounted following renewed allegations by some US lawmakers of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.
In October, Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, citing attacks by radical Islamist groups and what he described as mass killings.
On Monday, US Congressman Riley Moore said Nigeria and the United States were close to agreeing a strategic security framework to tackle terrorism. He disclosed this after a fact-finding visit to Nigeria, during which he met with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Moore had earlier sponsored a resolution in the US House of Representatives condemning the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria and backing the redesignation of the country as a Country of Particular Concern.
Amid the diplomatic strain, the United States earlier this month announced new visa restrictions targeting Nigerians accused of violating religious freedom.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the policy would apply to individuals who knowingly direct, authorise, fund, support or carry out violations of religious freedom, adding that it covers Nigeria and other countries linked to religious persecution.
This is the latest in a series of visa-related disputes between both countries in 2025. In July, the US embassy reduced the validity and entry allowance for most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerians, limiting them to single entry and a maximum stay of three months.
While the United States cited visa reciprocity, some reports suggested that Nigeria’s refusal to accept asylum seekers from the US may also have influenced the decision.
The reports further claimed Washington pushed for electronic applications for Nigeria’s five-year visa for Americans, as well as access to Nigeria’s criminal database to identify Nigerians in the US with criminal records for possible deportation.
On Monday, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, met with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills. Although details of the meeting were not released, the US embassy said Washington looked forward to continued engagement with Nigeria on issues of mutual concern.
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