The Federal Government has declared it will take reciprocal measures against the United States following Washington’s decision to tighten visa requirements for Nigerian applicants.
The new US policy mandates applicants to disclose all social media handles, email addresses, phone numbers, and other online identifiers used within the last five years. Failure to comply, the US Mission in Nigeria warned, could lead to visa denial and future ineligibility.
Explaining the move, the Mission said the policy is part of efforts by the Trump administration to strengthen national security.
It builds on earlier regulations that required international student visa applicants to grant access to their social media accounts for vetting purposes.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that the government was briefed ahead of the announcement but stressed that reciprocity would guide Nigeria’s response.
“On issues like this, the best we can do is reciprocal action,” Ebienfa said. “Some US citizens applying for Nigerian visas will be subjected to the same requirements imposed on our nationals.”
He added that an inter-agency meeting involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) would be convened to determine the country’s next steps.
Beyond the visa disclosure policy, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced a stricter “Good Moral Character” requirement for naturalisation applicants. The rule expands scrutiny beyond criminal records to cover day-to-day conduct, community involvement, tax compliance, and adherence to US social norms.
The new restrictions follow earlier measures against Nigerians, including the downgrading of most non-immigrant visas to single-entry permits valid for only three months. Washington justified the move under its reciprocity policy, which allows the US to mirror the visa rules other countries apply to its citizens.
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