Nigeria’s refusal to accept asylum seekers from the United States is partly responsible for the recent visa restrictions imposed on the country by President Donald Trump.
The talks are said to be part of broader demands from the Trump administration which are currently being negotiated.
Diplomatic sources told TheCable that the US president has been putting pressure on many countries to serve as temporary home for asylum seekers until their cases are treated — and this usually takes up to seven years.
While some countries have agreed, Nigeria has refused to be part of the arrangement.
Trump typically raises the bar in negotiations by slamming very high penalties on the other party until he gets the better part of the bargain.
He has been applying this strategy in his tariff war with a number of countries.
VISA RELATIONS BETWEEN BOTH COUNTRIES
The US embassy had announced on Tuesday a reduction in the validity period and entry allowance for “most” non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerians, effectively limiting the legality of their stay in the US to three months with a single entry.
An alleged imbalance in visa reciprocity from Nigeria was cited on social media as reason for the hard-hitting penalty, although the exact details were not made public by the US.
The announcement came as a shock to Nigerians and there were claims — now confirmed to be false — that Nigeria caused the policy change by stopping to issue five-year visas to American citizens.
A physical embassy-issued Nigerian visa for US citizens still has a validity that ranges from three months to five years, with either single or multiple entry — depending on the visa category.
Nigeria introduced its e-visa on March 1, aiming to make the process more accessible by eliminating the need for embassy visits and the highly poorly managed visa on arrival.
The e-visa is valid for 90 days from the date of issuance and allows single entry into Nigeria with a maximum stay of 30 days.
The changes were not limited to US citizens as they affected ALL non-ECOWAS nationals requiring visas to enter Nigeria.
However, the US does not offer such a visa category to Nigerians despite the reciprocity agreement.
Diplomatic sources told TheCable that the bone of contention is beyond the non-existent gaps in visa reciprocity.
FAILED DEAL TO SEND ASYLUM SEEKERS
Since taking office in January, Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders aimed at deporting millions of “illegal immigrants” — many of whom are asylum seekers — back to their countries of origin.
The US also pressured third countries to accept deported individuals who were not their nationals, a move widely condemned by human rights groups.
Some of the considered Central American countries were El Salvador and Panama, while in Africa, Libya, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Djibouti were identified as preferred destinations.
A few of these countries have already received some deportees.
On June 9, the US supreme court cleared the way for migrants to be deported to third countries — even to those facing conflict — instead of returning them to their home nations.
The US also approached Nigeria to receive the deported asylum seekers.
While the specifics of the arrangement were not disclosed, diplomatic sources confirmed that discussions took place but were unsuccessful owing to Nigeria’s unwillingness to accept non-citizens, many of whom had a number of years left to finalise their asylum applications.
A large number of the deportees are also believed to be convicted prisoners.
The proposed arrangement closely mirrors the controversial asylum deal between the United Kingdom and Rwanda, which faced legal and political setbacks and remained largely unimplemented.
Under the scheme, the Home Office agreed to pay money to support economic growth in Rwanda and provide extra payments to cover the cost of processing and relocating migrants there.
The UK government has already paid £220 million to Rwanda under the arrangement.
But shortly after assuming office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the plan had been “dead and buried”.
MORE DEMANDS
TheCable learnt that the US also pushed for the option of allowing its citizens to electronically apply for Nigeria’s five-year visa without visiting an embassy.
But sources familiar with the negotiations said Nigeria was not open to the request, citing concerns over reciprocity, as similar American visa privileges are not extended to Nigerians.
In its Tuesday updated visa policy, the US embassy said Nigeria still needs to meet certain criteria to improve the visa reciprocity standing.
The embassy listed the requirement to include issuing secure travel documents with verifiable identities, effectively managing visa overstays, and sharing relevant security and criminal record information with US authorities.
The US wants to access Nigeria’s criminal database so that Nigerians with previous criminal records who are now living in the US can be identified for deportation.
‘THE ART OF THE DEAL’
Since returning to the presidency, Trump has wielded the tactics outlined in his co-authored book, ‘The Art of the Deal’, as the blueprint for his approach to global negotiations, particularly on tariffs and migration deportations.
The president’s signature style — marked by bold threats, high-stakes brinkmanship, and a willingness to walk away — has shaped both US trade policy and immigration enforcement.
On tariffs, he has repeatedly imposed steep levies on trading partners, only to offer temporary reprieves as leverage for bilateral agreements.
Nigeria’s alignment with BRICS, an economic bloc Trump has repeatedly criticised, has done little to draw favours from the US presidency.
On Wednesday, Nigeria was conspicuously absent in Trump’s meeting with other African leaders at the White House aimed at improving economic cooperation.
In reaction to the visa policy update, Nigeria said the decision appeared misaligned with the principles of reciprocity, equity, and mutual respect that should guide bilateral engagements between friendly nations.
Nigeria urged the US to reconsider its decision in the spirit of partnership, cooperation, and shared global responsibilities.
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