The Federal Government of Nigeria has said that it will impose reciprocal measures following the United States’ decision to mandate Nigerian visa applicants to disclose their social media accounts and activities from the past five years.
Recall that the US Mission in Nigeria announced that visa applicants must provide all usernames, handles, email addresses, and phone numbers used across different platforms within the stated period. Failure to disclose this information, it warned, could result in visa denial or future ineligibility.
“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit.
“Omitting social media information on your application could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future U.S visas.
“Enter information associated with your online presence, including the types of online providers\platforms, applications and websites that you use to collaborate, share information and interact with others. List the username, handle, screen name and other identifiers associated with your social media profile,” the US Mission had said.
LEADERSHIP reports that the US State Department also revoked 6,000 student visas since Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, took office seven months ago over infractions and security concerns.
But, reacting to the development, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said Nigeria was briefed ahead of the announcement and would respond in kind. He explained that US citizens applying for Nigerian visas will be subjected to the same requirements.
“We are aware of the development. I think it’s part of the new measures they informed us before now that they will implement. Well, they mentioned those issues before.
“So, on things of this nature, the best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures.
‘’I think that’s what the government might do because anything visa is reciprocal. What you are mandating our nationals to do, we will also mandate your citizens applying for our visa to do,’’ he said.
Continuing, he said the Nigerian Government will convene an inter-agency meeting to agree on the best way to respond to the new visa regulation.
He added, “The government will have an inclusive meeting that will involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and also our National Intelligence Agency, NIA.
“So, the stakeholders that are involved will have a meeting and agree on our best way to respond to it holistically.”
