Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has made it clear that the country is not in a position to accept deported Venezuelans from the United States, especially those with criminal records.
He pointed out that the idea of bringing foreign prisoners into Nigeria would be difficult to manage, given the country’s existing population and internal challenges.
The development comes as the U.S. government under Donald Trump recently announced a 10% tariff on goods exported from Nigeria.
The new import duty has sparked discussions, especially in light of President Bola Tinubu’s recent participation in the BRICS summit in Brazil.
However, Tuggar stated that the new tariff may not be directly linked to Nigeria’s engagement with the BRICS group.
In addition to the tariff, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has rolled out a new visa policy. The latest changes limit Nigerian visitors to a single-entry visa with a three-month validity.
This has raised questions, as the U.S. claimed the move was based on reciprocity.
Tuggar disagreed, explaining that Nigeria still offers five-year multiple-entry visas to many American citizens, depending on the type of travel and visa category.
He also noted that Nigeria had upgraded its visa system by introducing online applications to improve processing and reduce delays.
While Nigeria previously operated a visa-on-arrival system, it was replaced with electronic visas to make travel arrangements smoother.
Tuggar stressed that Nigeria continues to engage in talks with the U.S. to clarify these issues, especially regarding travel rules and trade policies.