The Tinubu administration has announced plans to introduce a reciprocal visa requirement for American citizens seeking entry into Nigeria. The move comes in response to a U.S. policy mandating that Nigerian visa applicants disclose all social media handles and activity from the past five years.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria reaffirmed the enforcement of this policy, stating that all Nigerian applicants must list their social media usernames across every platform used during that period when completing the DS-160 visa application form.
Failure to comply, the Mission warned, could result in visa denial and future ineligibility. “Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,” it said.
Speaking to TheCable, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that the Nigerian government had been informed about the U.S. measure in advance. He added that the Tinubu administration intends to respond accordingly.
“We are aware of the development. I think it’s part of the new measures they informed us about before now. On matters like this, the best approach is reciprocity. What you are mandating our nationals to do, we will also mandate your citizens applying for our visa to do,” Ebienfa stated.
He also revealed that an inter-agency meeting will soon be convened including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and the National Intelligence Agency to finalize Nigeria’s approach.
According to Ebienfa, the Tinubu government’s aim is to craft a balanced and fair policy that protects Nigeria’s interests while aligning with global diplomatic standards.
