The Federal Government has confirmed it rejected pressure from the United States to accept deported Venezuelan nationals to the country.
The revelation was made by the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar during an interview on Politics Today aired Friday evening on Channels Television.
Tuggar expressed concern over the U.S. approach, calling the demand unreasonable given Nigeria’s domestic challenges.
“It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own. We already have 230 million people. You will be the same people that would castigate us if we acquiesce to accepting Venezuelans from U.S. prisons,” he said.
He warned that yielding to such a demand could set a troubling precedent.
“It would be unfair to insist that Nigeria accepts 300 Venezuelan deportees. Maybe that might just even be the beginning,” he added.
The minister’s remarks come amid growing tensions over perceived U.S. retaliation following Nigeria’s participation in the recent BRICS summit. Tuggar, however, dispelled speculations that Nigeria’s role in the summit triggered punitive trade measures, including a 10% tariff imposed on Nigerian goods during former President Donald Trump’s tenure.
“The issue of tariffs may not necessarily have to do with us participating in BRICS,” Tuggar clarified.
The situation was further compounded by a new U.S. visa policy that limits Nigerian travellers to a single-entry visa valid for three months. The change sparked widespread criticism and accusations of unequal treatment, especially given that Nigeria continues to issue Americans five-year multiple-entry visas.
Tuggar addressed the issue, stating that Nigeria’s visa offerings are not based on strict reciprocity but rather on several other factors, including a traveller’s intent and risk profile.
“We are engaging the Americans. We are also reminding them that we issue them five-year multiple entry visas. Not every American is only being given 90-day visas or three months. There are many Americans who have long-term visas,” he said.
He also highlighted recent improvements to Nigeria’s visa system, such as electronic applications and more streamlined visa-on-arrival procedures.
