The United States has officially added Nigeria to a new list of countries facing travel restrictions, following a presidential proclamation signed by President Donald Trump as part of a renewed push to tighten U.S. border controls and national security screening.
The proclamation, which the White House says is based on “data-driven assessments of security, vetting, and immigration compliance risks,” places Nigeria under partial travel restrictions, affecting both immigrant and selected non-immigrant visa categories.
Nigeria joins 14 other countries under partial suspension, while several African and non-African countries face either full bans or continued restrictions.
What the US is Saying
President Trump, in announcing the policy, said it was his responsibility to act decisively on border security.
- “It is the President’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people,” the proclamation stated, adding that the measures are aimed at “protect[ing] the Nation from national security and public safety threats.”
- It also stated that “the restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives.”
In justifying Nigeria’s inclusion, the U.S. administration cited both security concerns and immigration compliance indicators.
- The proclamation specifically referenced the activities of extremist groups within Nigeria, noting that “radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State operate freely in certain parts of Nigeria, which creates substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”
Beyond security issues, the U.S. relied heavily on visa overstay data compiled by the Department of Homeland Security.
According to the Fiscal Year 2024 Entry/Exit Overstay Report, Nigerian nationals recorded a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 5.56%, while students and exchange visitors on F, M, and J visas had an overstay rate of 11.90%.
Although these figures are lower than those of several other affected countries, the administration argued that overstay data must be viewed alongside broader concerns around document integrity, identity verification, and regional instability.
The proclamation noted more generally that “many of the restricted countries suffer from widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records, and nonexistent birth-registration systems—systemically preventing accurate vetting.”
What “partial restrictions” mean for Nigerians
Nigeria is not subject to a full travel ban. Instead, it falls under partial suspension, which applies to immigrants and non-immigrants seeking B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas.
- Existing visa holders, lawful permanent residents, diplomats, athletes, and individuals whose travel serves U.S. national interests are exempted.
- The U.S. administration also emphasized that waivers will continue to be granted on a case-by-case basis. However, the proclamation narrows certain family-based immigrant visa categories that U.S. officials say “carry demonstrated fraud risks.”
In practical terms, this means Nigerians applying for new visas may face tighter scrutiny, longer processing times, and potentially higher rejection rates, particularly for student, visitor, and family-related immigration pathways.
How Nigeria compares with other African countries
Nigeria’s partial restriction places it in a middle category when compared with other African nations affected by the policy.
Countries facing full travel restrictions include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan.
These nations are subject to broader entry limitations due to what the U.S. describes as severe security breakdowns, high visa overstay rates, and refusal to accept deported nationals.
For example, Sierra Leone recorded a student and exchange visitor overstay rate of 35.83%, while Niger posted combined overstay rates significantly higher than Nigeria’s.
Other African countries under partial suspension, alongside Nigeria, include Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Several of these countries recorded higher overstay rates than Nigeria, particularly for student visas, while others were cited for weak government presence or poor information-sharing practices.
The U.S. administration stressed that the restrictions are “country-specific in order to encourage cooperation with the subject countries in recognition of each country’s unique circumstances.”
The proclamation suggests that improvement is possible. It pointed to Turkmenistan, which saw its non-immigrant visa ban lifted after demonstrating “significant progress in improving its identity-management and information-sharing procedures.”
For Nigeria, this signals that enhanced cooperation on security, documentation, and immigration compliance could determine whether the restrictions are eased or tightened in the future.
As the U.S. administration framed it, the policy is designed not as a permanent exclusion but as leverage.
- “The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose,” the White House said, underscoring the link between domestic security reforms and international mobility.
