By Charles Pemu 
The United States government has introduced stricter visa requirements for Nigerian applicants, mandating them to disclose all social media accounts and activities from the past five years. Failure to comply, according to the US Mission in Nigeria, could lead to visa denial and even future entry restrictions.
The directive, announced via the Mission’s official X handle, expands on an earlier policy that targeted international students. Under the new rule, all applicants must provide usernames, handles, email addresses, phone numbers, and other identifiers linked to their social media presence across multiple platforms. Applicants who used more than one username or number within the five-year period must also list them in their visa forms.
“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames of every platform they have used in the last five years. Omitting this information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,” the US Mission warned.
This move is part of wider immigration tightening under the Trump administration, aimed at strengthening “national security.” The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also expanded its “Good Moral Character” policy for citizenship applicants, requiring officers to evaluate not just criminal records but also community involvement, tax compliance, employment history, and adherence to social norms.
In a related development, the US State Department confirmed the revocation of more than 6,000 student visas in the past seven months, citing violations such as overstays, assault, DUI, burglary, and links to terrorism. The crackdown, reportedly championed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has disproportionately affected students from China and activists accused of anti-Israel sentiments.
Nigeria Promises Reciprocal Action
Reacting swiftly, the Federal Government of Nigeria condemned the US directive and announced plans to impose similar requirements on American citizens seeking Nigerian visas.
Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the government would not accept the one-sided policy, stressing that “anything visa is reciprocal.”
“We are aware of the development, and Nigeria will respond in kind. US citizens applying for Nigerian visas will be required to provide the same information being demanded from our nationals,” he said.
The government also revealed that an inter-agency meeting involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) will be convened to determine Nigeria’s full response.
This comes after a series of recent restrictions by Washington, including limiting non-immigrant visas for Nigerians to single-entry permits valid for just three months.
The US insists the move is part of a global visa reciprocity process designed to protect the integrity of its immigration system. However, for many Nigerians, the policy is being seen as yet another tightening measure aimed at discouraging both legal and illegal migration.