Why I placed partial travel ban on Nigerians and what it means – Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump has formally outlined the reasons Nigeria was placed under partial U.S. travel restrictions, citing terrorism concerns and high visa overstay rates, as his administration expands a renewed travel ban affecting dozens of countries.

In a proclamation issued Tuesday, Trump said the presence of extremist groups and weaknesses in Nigeria’s screening systems made it difficult for U.S. authorities to properly vet travellers.

“Radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State operate freely in certain parts of Nigeria, which creates substantial screening and vetting difficulties,” he stated in the proclamation.

The president also pointed to visa compliance data, noting that Nigeria recorded a 5.56 percent overstay rate for B-1/B-2 visas and a 11.90 percent overstay rate for F, M, and J visas, according to U.S. Overstay Reports.

What the Partial Ban Means for Nigerians

Under the new directive, entry into the United States by Nigerian nationals is suspended in the following categories:

1. All immigrant visas
2. Nonimmigrant visas under B-1, B-2, and B-1/B-2 (business and tourism)
3. Student and exchange visas (F, M, and J categories)

The proclamation states:

“The entry into the United States of nationals of Nigeria as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is hereby suspended.”

In addition, U.S. consular officers have been instructed to shorten the validity of all other nonimmigrant visas issued to Nigerians, where legally possible.

“Consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals of Nigeria to the extent permitted by law,” President Trump said.

This means Nigerians applying for work-related or special-category visas may still be considered, but with shorter visa durations and tighter scrutiny.

Nigeria’s Shift from March 2025 Exclusion

The move marks a sharp reversal from March 2025, when Nigeria was excluded from an earlier draft list of more than 40 countries Trump planned to restrict. At the time, U.S. officials said the list was not final and could still change.

This week’s announcement confirms those warnings.

Nigeria is now among 15 countries placed under partial restrictions, while five others—Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria—were added to the full travel ban list, according to the Associated Press.

A Return to First-Term Policy

The restrictions echo Trump’s 2020 immigration clampdown, when Nigeria was added to a U.S. travel restriction list over identity management and information-sharing concerns. That earlier policy mainly affected immigrant visas.

The White House said the latest measures are necessary to protect U.S. national security.

“The restrictions and limitations imposed by the Proclamation are necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose,” it said.