Politics

Nigeria’s Presidency Rejects US Visa Policy, Labels It Unfair and Non-Reciprocal

Chioma Ndukwu 5 months ago 2 min read

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

The Nigerian presidency has rejected the United States’ recent visa policy changes, accusing the US of misrepresenting Nigeria’s stance on visa reciprocity.

In a statement issued on Thursday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s office clarified that Nigeria has not revoked the five-year multiple-entry visa option for American citizens, contrary to claims made by some sources. Instead, Nigeria’s new 90-day, single-entry visa policy applies only to electronic visas (e-visas), which are available for short-term visitors such as tourists and business travelers seeking a faster processing route.

Earlier reports by Premium Times had highlighted a shift in US visa policy, with US authorities announcing that Nigerian applicants for non-immigrant visas would now be granted only single-entry, three-month visas, replacing the previous two-year, multiple-entry option. The US Embassy in Nigeria had explained that this change was intended to mirror Nigeria’s visa policy towards US citizens.

The US Mission in Nigeria stated on Tuesday: “Effective today, most non-immigrant and non-official visas for Nigerian citizens will be single-entry with three-month validity…”

However, the Nigerian presidency contested this claim, asserting that Nigeria’s visa policy remains unchanged for American citizens. It emphasized that the Nigerian government continues to issue five-year multiple-entry visas to US nationals, just as the US has consistently done for Nigerians.

The presidency also elaborated that the 90-day single-entry visa policy only affects the newly introduced e-visa system. The e-visa is a more streamlined option for short-term visitors who wish to bypass the traditional visa application process. Unlike the former Visa-on-Arrival program, which was often criticized for inefficiency and corruption, the e-visa allows applicants to apply online and receive approval within 48 hours without the need to visit the embassy.

Refuting claims that Nigeria had stopped issuing long-term visas to the US, the presidency called such reports “misinformation” and assured the public that the government remains committed to fulfilling all existing bilateral agreements.

The statement also noted that e-visas are becoming a standard practice in many countries. While Nigeria has adopted this system for citizens of the US and several other nations, it pointed out that the US has not reciprocated by offering similar e-visa options to Nigerian citizens.