The United States has slashed the duration of temporary-stay visas for Nigerian citizens to just three months, the US embassy in Abuja announced Tuesday.
Effective immediately, most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas for Nigerians will be single-entry and valid for only 90 days, the embassy said.
The decision is part of what Washington called “updates” to its reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy, targeting several countries including Nigeria.
Previously, Nigerian travellers could obtain US visas with durations tailored to their visit purpose, often valid for multiple years and entries.
This move follows President Donald Trump’s sweeping travel ban last month on nationals from 12 countries—seven of them African—citing national security risks and vetting concerns.
Among the African countries hit by the ban were Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and the Republic of Congo.
In a tit-for-tat response, Chad immediately halted visa issuance for US citizens, raising tensions across the region.
So far, Nigeria’s government has not issued an official response to the latest restriction.
However, Nigeria’s foreign minister previously warned that such US policies could threaten trade ties with West Africa, especially in energy and rare earth minerals.
The clampdown deepens concerns that African nations are increasingly caught in the crosshairs of America’s evolving immigration agenda.
While Washington insists the measures are about security, critics argue they reflect a troubling trend of disengagement from African partnerships.
For many Nigerian travellers, the new policy delivers a harsh blow to long-standing cultural, academic, and business exchanges with the United States.
