Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, said Nigeria will not accept deportees from Venezuela as proposed by the United States government, stressing that such a move would be impractical and unfair.
Tuggar disclosed this during an interactive session on Politics Today on Channels Television, addressing recent diplomatic pressures and trade developments involving the United States.
The Minister revealed that the U.S. has been mounting pressure on several African countries to receive Venezuelans being deported from American prisons,a proposal Nigeria firmly opposes.
“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. It would be unfair and impractical to accommodate deportees from another country.”he said
Tuggar clarified that the recent 10 percent tariff imposed on Nigerian goods by the US government is unlikely to be linked directly to President Bola Tinubu’s participation in the recent BRICS summit in Brazil, despite growing speculation.
Responding to concerns over strained US-Nigeria relations, the Minister noted that the issue of tariffs may not necessarily have to do with Nigeria participating in BRICS, stressing that, It’s important to separate economic policy from diplomatic assumptions.
On the issue of visa restrictions, Tuggar also responded to the US Embassy’s recent decision to enforce a single-entry, three-month visa validity for Nigerian travellers. He challenged the US claim that the decision was based on reciprocity.
He explained that Nigeria offers American citizens five-year multiple entry visas.He noted that the new online visa system was introduced to improve efficiency and reduce delays, especially for short-term visitors.
He emphasized that Nigeria’s visa policy remains balanced and tailored to categories of travellers, noting that many American citizens still receive long-term visas to Nigeria.
“We are engaging with the US and explaining our position clearly. Reciprocity cannot be applied in a one-size-fits-all manner,” he said
