The Nigerian presidency has dismissed reports linking the U.S. government’s recent visa restrictions on Nigerians to an alleged suspension of five-year multiple-entry visas for American citizens.
In a statement on Thursday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga clarified that President Bola Tinubu never revoked the issuance of such visas to U.S. citizens. Instead, he affirmed that the administration remains committed to implementing bilateral agreements and the principle of reciprocity.
The clarification follows backlash over Washington’s decision to limit most non-immigrant visas for Nigerians to single-entry, three-month validity.
Onanuga described claims attributing the U.S. action to Tinubu’s alleged visa policy change as “misinformation and fake news.”
He added that the 90-day single-entry visa applies only to Nigeria’s newly introduced e-Visa system, designed for short-term business and tourism, replacing the former visa-on-arrival scheme.
The government reiterated its willingness to engage the U.S. diplomatically to address the visa policy shift, which it says does not reflect Nigeria’s actual compliance with existing agreements.
