FG URGES US TO LIFT VISA BANS AS BARRIERS TO TRADE DEALS DEEPEN

Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has raised alarm over the growing impact of U.S. visa restrictions on the country’s economic ambitions, warning that such policies threaten to derail potential trade and investment partnerships. Speaking at the 54th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council in Abuja, Tuggar insisted that visa bans constitute non-tariff barriers impeding progress.
Tuggar criticized the blanket visa limitations recently imposed on all ECOWAS member states, calling them “counterproductive to regional growth and collaboration.” He emphasized the need for unrestricted movement of businesspeople and government officials, who are critical to sealing investment and development agreements.
Highlighting Nigeria’s strategic mineral resources, including deposits of samarium in Bauchi State, Tuggar declared, “We are ready to do deals — but not at the cost of being shut out of global mobility.” He underscored ECOWAS’ centuries-old history in international trade, urging the U.S. to view the region as a valuable partner, not a restricted zone.
The statement comes amid lingering reports that the United States — under both current and past administrations — is considering expanding its visa bans to over 30 African and Caribbean countries. Tuggar’s remarks reflect growing frustration across West Africa, where leaders are pushing for equitable access to global opportunities and the dismantling of policy bottlenecks that exclude African voices from global negotiations.