The clarification comes amid concerns following adjustments in the United States’ visa policy for Nigerians, which the U.S. had attributed to a lack of reciprocity from the Nigerian side.
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – The Presidency has dismissed reports suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu halted the issuance of five-year multiple-entry visas to U.S. citizens, calling such claims false and misleading.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, July 2025, the Federal Government insisted that Nigeria continues to grant U.S. citizens five-year non-immigrant visas in line with existing bilateral agreements and the principle of reciprocity.
“Contrary to misinformation and fake news circulating online, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has never stopped issuing 5-year multiple-entry visas for U.S. citizens,” the statement read.
“Immediately after assuming office, President Tinubu’s administration issued a service-wide directive that Nigeria implement all bilateral agreements with other nations and adhere to the principle of reciprocity in diplomatic relations.”
The clarification comes amid concerns following adjustments in the United States’ visa policy for Nigerians, which the U.S. had attributed to a lack of reciprocity from the Nigerian side. But the presidency said that claim does not reflect the true state of affairs.
“The U.S. government’s claim of reciprocity as the reason for its current visa policy towards Nigeria does not accurately reflect the actual situation,” Onanuga stated. “The Nigerian government has not deviated from granting U.S. citizens a 5-year multiple-entry non-immigrant visa, just as the U.S. has continued to grant the same to Nigerians.”
According to the Presidency, the recent confusion may have stemmed from the introduction of a new 90-day single-entry e-Visa category. However, it clarified that this category is separate from the regular visa stream and is aimed at streamlining short-term travel for tourists and businesspeople.
“This 90-day visa applies only to the newly introduced e-Visas, a short-term visa category… The e-Visa replaces the now obsolete Visa-on-Arrival, which was inefficient and often used as a means of extortion,” the statement explained.
The government noted that the e-Visa is part of President Tinubu’s broader strategy to enhance Nigeria’s attractiveness to investors and tourists through a simpler, faster, and corruption-free visa application process.
While noting that Nigeria has extended the e-Visa facility to U.S. citizens, it said the United States has yet to offer a similar arrangement to Nigerians.
“The e-visa policy aligns with President Tinubu’s efforts to boost investment, trade, and tourism in the country, as well as promote the ease of doing business for non-nationals. However, although Nigeria has an e-visa policy for citizens of the U.S. and several other countries, the U.S. has not reciprocated this gesture for Nigerians.”
The presidency affirmed its commitment to continued diplomatic engagement with the U.S. in order to address any issues behind the recent policy shift.
“In the spirit of cooperation, mutual understanding, and partnership that have characterised the relationship between Nigeria and the United States over the decades, the Tinubu-led administration will continue to dialogue and engage with U.S. authorities to resolve any issues that have led to the recent developments,” the statement added.