By Rafiyat Sadiq
The Federal Government has vowed to impose reciprocal measures on United States citizens seeking entry into Nigeria, following the U.S. government’s new visa requirements mandating Nigerian applicants to disclose details of their social media activity over the past five years.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria announced the policy in a statement on its official X handle on Monday, warning that failure to comply could lead to visa denial and possible ineligibility for future entry.
The rule, which expands on an earlier directive targeting international student applicants, requires visa seekers to provide usernames, email addresses, telephone numbers, and other identifiers used across all online platforms in the last five years. Applicants must enter these details in the DS-160 visa application form and certify the information as accurate before submission.
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“Omitting social media information on your application could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future U.S. visas,” the Mission stated. “Applicants must list all usernames, handles, screen names, and identifiers associated with their online presence.”
The Mission said the policy was part of U.S. immigration security measures introduced under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also begun enforcing a stricter “Good Moral Character” rule for naturalisation applicants. The guideline requires immigration officers to evaluate not only criminal history but also community involvement, tax compliance, education, and overall adherence to U.S. social and legal norms.
In addition, the U.S. State Department confirmed it had revoked 6,000 student visas in the past seven months. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who assumed office earlier this year, said most cancellations involved overstays and violations including assault, burglary, and terrorism-related offences. The majority, officials added, involved students from China, although nationalities were not officially disclosed.
Rubio defended the mass revocations, insisting that visa issuance and withdrawal fall under executive authority and are not subject to judicial review. He has faced criticism following the detention of several international students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, some of whom were later freed by U.S. courts.
Nigeria to Respond
Reacting to the new requirements, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Kimiebi Ebienfa confirmed that Abuja had been informed of the decision prior to its public announcement.
“We are aware of the development,” Ebienfa said. “On issues like this, the best we can do is reciprocal action. Some people from the U.S. might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures. Anything visa-related is reciprocal. What you are mandating our nationals to do, we will also mandate your citizens applying for our visa to do.”
He explained that the Federal Government will convene an inter-agency meeting involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to determine the appropriate response.
Background of Visa Restrictions
The announcement comes amid a series of U.S. immigration curbs targeting Nigeria. In recent months, Washington limited non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerians to single-entry permits valid for only three months, citing concerns over overstays and reciprocity policy.
The State Department had earlier said such measures formed part of a global visa reciprocity process, which it described as “continuous and subject to review or change at any time.”
The latest policy adds to Washington’s warning that Nigerians who overstay their visas may face permanent bans on re-entry.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
