Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has revealed that the United States is pressuring several African nations, including Nigeria, to accept deportees from Venezuela — a move he strongly rejected, stating it is unrealistic and unfair.
Speaking during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television Friday evening, Tuggar emphasized that it would be extremely difficult for Nigeria to accommodate Venezuelanhttps://news365.co.za/eu-foreign-affairs-minister/ deportees, some of whom are reportedly being released directly from U.S. prisons.
“The U.S. is putting a lot of pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans being deported from the United States, including some who are coming straight from prison,” Tuggar said. “It will be difficult for Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into our country. We have enough challenges already.”
He underscored Nigeria’s large and growing population, pointing out that it would be unjust for the U.S. to expect Nigeria to shoulder such a burden.
“We already have over 230 million people. It’s unreasonable to expect us to take in Venezuelans deported from U.S. prisons. If we were to accept that, the same critics would turn around and condemn us for doing so,” he added.
Tuggar’s comments come amid heightened tensions between Nigeria and the United States following a series of developments, including new tariffs and visa restrictions. Earlier this week, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10 percent tariff on Nigerian goods exported to the U.S., a move that sparked speculation about its timing and motivation — particularly in light of President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to the BRICS summit in Brazil.
The Foreign Minister, however, dismissed any direct link between the new tariffs and Tinubu’s engagement with BRICS — an alliance of emerging economies including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — which is increasingly seen as an alternative to Western-led global economic structures.
Nigeria Rejects U.S. Push to Accept Venezuelan Deportees, Says Foreign Affairs Minister Tuggar
“The issue of tariffs may not necessarily be tied to our participation in BRICS,” Tuggar explained. “These things are often more complex than they appear on the surface.”
He further cautioned that accepting Venezuelan deportees might only be the beginning of a larger problem, hinting at the possibility of more deportation requests or greater pressure from Washington.
“Insisting that Nigeria accepts 300 Venezuelan deportees is not only unfair — it also sets a precedent that we may not be able to manage in the future,” he said.
In a related matter, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria recently updated its visa policy, restricting most Nigerian applicants to single-entry, three-month visas. While the embassy claimed this change was based on reciprocity, Tuggar pushed back on that narrative, asserting that Nigeria continues to offer American travellers longer-term, multiple-entry visas.
“The claim of reciprocity is simply not accurate,” the minister clarified. “We give Americans five-year, multiple-entry visas — just like they do for regular Nigerian travellers. So this notion of reciprocity does not hold water.”
He further explained that Nigeria had moved away from its previous visa-on-arrival system in favor of a more efficient electronic visa system, allowing travelers to apply online and avoid lengthy arrival procedures.
“We introduced e-visas to streamline the process. It’s much easier now to apply online, instead of dealing with paperwork after you arrive,” Tuggar said.
The minister also elaborated on the different visa categories available, explaining that short-term tourist visas — valid for 90 days — are issued to first-time visitors who may not have plans to return frequently. However, long-term visas are still regularly granted to eligible American nationals.
“Not every American gets a 90-day visa. Many receive long-term, multiple-entry visas. So the visa changes announced by the U.S. are not truly about reciprocity,” he said.
Tuggar reaffirmed that Nigeria remains open to constructive diplomatic engagement with the U.S. but stressed that certain demands, like the deportation of foreign nationals with no ties to Nigeria, cross the line.
“We are engaging with the Americans diplomatically. But we must be firm in standing for what is just and in Nigeria’s best interest. Accepting Venezuelan deportees simply doesn’t make sense for us — economically, socially, or politically,” Tuggar concluded.
As geopolitical alliances shift and Nigeria seeks to assert greater independence on the global stage, Tuggar’s remarks underline the government’s intention to maintain national integrity while navigating delicate international relations.
Source- Punchng
