Federal Government Laments Cancellation Of US Visas For Nigerians

The Nigerian government has expressed concerns over reported cancellation or revocation of visa for Nigerians by the United States Government amid
increasing frustration being faced by Nigerians seeking US visa as the authorities have not advanced any reason for this decision.

The federal government, in a statement on Wednesday by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said there was no formal reason advanced by the US government for the cancellation or revocation of visas.

Dozens of Nigerians were reportedly asked to submit the passports in the US Consulate in Lagos and the Embassy in Abuja, only to have their visas revoked discreetly.

A Nigerian, and former spokesman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) Olufemi Soneye, 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 quite unfortunate and the ministry expresses concerns over the frustrations faced by the affected Nigerians.

“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.”

At the time of filing this report on Wednesday, the US authorities were yet to respond to inquiries sent to them 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 and not just Nigerians.

The US mission noted that visas were being cancelled in cases where a foreign visitor – including foreign students overstays their lawful period of admission, engages in criminal activity or provides 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 in order to keep Americans safe.

Recall that in July, the US Department of State announced updates to its reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy, impacting several countries, including Nigeria.

The State Department in a statement said effective immediately, most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.

According to the statement those U.S. non-immigrant visas issued prior to 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.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar, has maintained that the country’s citizens were being targeted because Nigeria refused to accept Venezuelan prisoners demanded by Trump.