Abuja, Nigeria – The United States government has reportedly issued a controversial condition for the lifting of its current visa restrictions on Nigerian travelers: Nigeria must accept 300,000 deported Venezuelan migrants.
According to diplomatic sources who spoke exclusively to Western Post, the demand was presented during a closed-door meeting in Abuja earlier this week between U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, and senior officials of the Nigerian government.
Click Here to Join Our Whatsapp Channel
“The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria told Nigerian government officials in a meeting that Nigeria should take 300,000 Venezuelan deported immigrants to get the visa restriction reviewed,” a source familiar with the meeting disclosed.
This development comes on the heels of a recent policy change by the U.S. government, which now limits non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerians from a two-year multiple-entry validity to just three months with a single entry. The move has sparked diplomatic tension between both nations.
In a swift response, the Nigerian presidency condemned the U.S. policy shift, highlighting that Nigeria had not altered its visa regime for American citizens. U.S. nationals are still eligible for five-year multiple-entry visas under Nigeria’s current policy.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, further addressed the issue on Thursday, publicly rejecting what he described as undue pressure from Washington. Tuggar stated emphatically that Nigeria “will not serve as a dumping ground for migrants with no geopolitical or historical connection to the country.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria offered a conflicting account in a statement released Friday on its verified X (formerly Twitter) handle. The embassy dismissed claims linking the visa restriction to third-country deportee negotiations or Nigeria’s international alliances.
“The U.S. Mission Nigeria wishes to address misconceptions about the recent reduction in visa validity for most nonimmigrant U.S. visas in Nigeria and other countries,” the statement read.
“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 reduction in validity is part of an ongoing global review… using technical and security benchmarks to safeguard U.S. immigration systems,” it added.
Despite the clarification, the apparent disconnect between diplomatic discussions and public statements raises questions about underlying geopolitical maneuverings and the future of Nigeria–U.S.bilateral relations.
