Nigeria to impose retaliatory visa rules in response to US social media requirement
Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa said Abuja would apply the same conditions to Americans seeking visas to Nigeria.
Nigeria is planning to introduce reciprocal visa requirements for American citizens after Washington began demanding that Nigerian applicants submit details of their social media use over the past five years.
The announcement came after the US Mission in Nigeria issued a directive over the weekend, instructing visa seekers to provide all social media usernames, handles, email addresses and phone numbers tied to accounts used within the period.
Failure to disclose such information, the Mission added, could result in visa denials and future ineligibility for Nigerian applicants.
More To Read
- Zambia, Malawi citizens to pay up to Sh1.9 million visa bond to enter US
- Visa applicants must now submit social media handles used in past five years or risk denial - US Embassy
- Kenyans to pay at least Sh32,000 more for US visas under new law
- Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari dies in London aged 82
- Three-month limit: US slaps new visa restrictions on Nigerians, Ghanaians
- US Embassy warns Ugandans against misusing tourist visas for births
The measure, part of broader policies rolled out under President Donald Trump, is aimed at tightening security and subjecting visa applicants to more thorough vetting.
"Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form," said the US Mission in a statement on X on August 18.
"Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas."
Responding to the move on Monday, Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa said Abuja would apply the same conditions to Americans seeking visas to Nigeria.
"We are aware of the development. I think it's part of the new measures they informed us about before now that they will implement. Well, they mentioned those issues before. So, on things of this nature, the best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action," Ebienfa said, according to Punch, one of Nigeria's largest publications.
"Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures. I think that's what the government might do because anything visa is reciprocal. What you are mandating our nationals to do, we will also mandate your citizens applying for our visa to do."
Ebienfa added that Nigeria's Foreign Ministry will meet with the Interior Ministry and the National Intelligence Agency to finalise the reciprocal policy.
"So, the stakeholders that are involved will have a meeting and agree on our best way to respond to it holistically," he said.
The development follows rising strains in Nigeria's ties with Washington. In July, Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar openly dismissed attempts by the Trump administration to push Abuja into taking in deported Venezuelans.
Top Stories Today
