President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered all relevant federal agencies to ensure strict compliance with Nigeria’s international obligations, following the United States government’s decision to reduce visa validity for Nigerian citizens.
The U.S. government, which previously granted five-year multiple-entry visas to Nigerians, has now limited them to single-entry visas valid for three months.
In a statement released on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said the U.S. officially communicated its reasons for the policy shift to the Nigerian government.
“The United States Government has officially communicated that its decision was based on two principal factors: the current rate of visa overstays by Nigerian nationals and the need for reliable access to their records,” Mr. Onanuga stated.
He further explained that the U.S. described the measure as part of its routine global visa reciprocity process.
“The visa policy adjustment is part of its global visa reciprocity process, which is routinely reviewed and subject to change, including the number of permitted entries and validity durations,” Onanuga added.
Despite initial claims by the U.S. embassy in Nigeria that the change was based on reciprocity, subsequent clarifications indicated that the new visa regime stems from global revisions to the country’s visa issuance policies.
Onanuga’s statement revealed that visa overstays by Nigerian nationals and the U.S. government’s difficulty accessing applicant records held by Nigerian authorities were the core issues influencing the decision.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has mandated all federal agencies to enhance cooperation with international partners and improve identity authentication for Nigerians seeking consular services abroad.
“In response, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed all federal agencies to ensure full compliance with Nigeria’s international obligations and to strengthen inter-governmental cooperation in authenticating the identities of individuals seeking consular services abroad,” Onanuga stated.
The President also called on Nigerians living abroad to conduct themselves lawfully.
“The President calls on all Nigerians to respect the immigration regulations of their host countries and to uphold the integrity of the permits and privileges granted to them under the laws of those jurisdictions.”
Notedly, Nigeria has opted not to reciprocate the U.S. decision. The federal government has confirmed it will continue to issue five-year multiple-entry visas to American nationals.
Onanuga also addressed speculation regarding visa restrictions from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He noted that the Nigerian government has not received any official notice of new UAE transit visa policies for Nigerian travellers.
“Regarding the new conditions for issuing UAE transit visas to Nigerian nationals, the federal government notes that it has not received any formal communication from the UAE authorities regarding a revised visa policy,” he said.
