United States President Donald Trump has announced a partial travel restriction on Nigeria, citing security concerns and challenges in vetting travellers. The decision is part of a broader immigration action outlined in a statement titled “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” released by the White House on Tuesday.
The new measures, which will take effect in January 2026, will limit the entry of Nigerians into the US as both immigrants and certain categories of non-immigrants. The restrictions also apply to nationals of several other African countries and Black-majority Caribbean nations.
According to the proclamation, the decision followed a report submitted by the US Secretary of State, in collaboration with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence. The report assessed whether existing immigration suspensions should be maintained, altered or expanded in line with US foreign policy and national security goals.
Trump said the US would partially restrict entry from 15 countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The restrictions apply to both immigrant and non-immigrant travellers.
Explaining Nigeria’s inclusion, Trump claimed that extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State operate in parts of the country, making effective screening difficult. As a result, he ordered the suspension of entry for Nigerians seeking immigrant visas and non-immigrant visas in the B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J categories. He also directed consular officers to shorten the validity of other non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerians where legally possible.
The proclamation cited US overstay data, noting that Nigeria recorded a 5.56 per cent overstay rate for B-1/B-2 visas and an 11.90 per cent overstay rate for F, M and J visas.
In recent weeks, Trump has intensified criticism of African-origin immigrants, using harsh language at political rallies and reiterating his preference for immigration from European countries. He has previously imposed a full travel ban on Somalia and maintained bans on countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Haiti, Sudan and Yemen.
The White House also alleged that some countries on the list have high crime rates and weak passport and record-keeping systems, though it acknowledged progress made by Turkmenistan, which was removed from the list for immigrant restrictions.
In a related move, Trump expanded the US travel ban to include nationals of seven additional countries, among them Syria, as well as holders of Palestinian Authority passports. The administration said the expanded ban is aimed at preventing entry by individuals deemed a threat to US security or national values.
Several of the newly affected countries, such as Angola, Senegal and Zambia, have previously been regarded as key US partners in Africa.
