President Donald J. Trump’s administration is moving to reintroduce a travel ban affecting dozens of countries, with 22 African nations — including Nigeria — on the list of those potentially facing visa restrictions. The new travel ban, outlined in a draft policy under review, is aimed at countries the administration says do not meet U.S. standards for passport security, data sharing, and public safety cooperation. The draft policy, reported by The Africa Report and Reuters, includes 43 countries globally, 22 of which are in Africa.
The affected countries fall into three categories:
Full Visa Suspension: Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.
Partial Visa Suspension (e.g., tourists, students): Eritrea and South Sudan.
Under Review with 60-Day Grace Period to Avoid Restrictions: Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Sierra Leone.
According to U.S. officials, the travel ban is designed to protect national security and public safety by targeting countries that do not adequately share information on criminal records, suspected terrorists, or stolen and lost passports.
Countries in the third category have been notified of their deficiencies and given 60 days to comply before restrictions are implemented. The U.S. government has indicated that these restrictions could include limitations on immigrant and non-immigrant visas.
Nigeria, which was previously placed on a travel ban list in 2020 during Trump’s first term, was later removed after committing to improve information-sharing with U.S. authorities. It is now once again under scrutiny for similar security-related issues.
The decision has raised concerns in diplomatic and business circles. Nigeria is a key U.S. partner in West Africa and one of the largest sources of African immigrants to the United States. A new visa restriction could affect thousands of students, professionals, and families, as well as business and government ties.
The policy is still in a draft phase, and final implementation is expected to follow after inter-agency consultations within the Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and officials at the Department of Homeland Security are leading the review process.
No public statements have been made by the Nigerian government so far, but sources in Abuja say diplomatic efforts are underway to engage U.S. officials and avoid inclusion on the final list.
The policy echoes the administration’s broader hardline stance on immigration, border security, and national vetting standards. Critics say such bans often disproportionately impact developing countries and risk damaging U.S. relations with key partners.
However, officials have emphasized that the decision is based solely on objective security and technical criteria, and countries that make rapid improvements could avoid sanctions altogether.
