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Nigeria will require US visa applicants to disclose social media details, mirroring the US policy for Nigerian applicants over five years
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Inter-agency meeting including Foreign Affairs, Interior, and NIA will determine precise implementation of reciprocal visa vetting measures
The Federal Government has announced plans to reciprocate the United States’ new visa policy, which requires Nigerian applicants to submit details of their social media accounts from the past five years.
On Monday, the US Mission in Nigeria stated that all visa applicants must disclose usernames or handles used across every platform during the specified period. It also warned that failure to provide accurate information could result in visa denial and future ineligibility.
Reacting, Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that Nigeria will adopt reciprocal measures. He explained that the ministry was informed ahead of the announcement and that the federal government considers reciprocity the most appropriate response.
Anything visa is reciprocal. What you are mandating our nationals to do, we will also mandate your citizens applying for our visa to do, Ebienfa said.
He added that an inter-agency meeting involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) would be convened to decide on the best approach.
The US had earlier instructed international students to make their social media accounts public for vetting. In June, the Trump administration also suspended student visa appointment scheduling, tightening restrictions on applicants deemed to pose risks. By July, applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas were directed to set their social media accounts to ‘public’ for background checks.
Nigeria’s reciprocal action is expected to apply to US citizens seeking visas, ensuring a level playing field in immigration procedures.