The Presidency has dismissed reports suggesting that President Bola Tinubu ordered the suspension of five-year multiple-entry visas for US citizens.
This clarification comes in the wake of Washington’s recent decision to revise its visa policy for Nigerians, significantly cutting down the validity period and the number of entries permitted for most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visa categories.
Responding to the claims on Thursday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga insisted that President Tinubu had issued no such directive, describing the circulating reports as nothing more than misinformation.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has never stopped issuing five-year multiple-entry visas for U.S. citizens. This continues in line with existing bilateral agreements and the principle of reciprocity,” Onanuga said in a statement issued on Thursday.
He stated that shortly after assuming office, President Tinubu directed all federal agencies to uphold Nigeria’s international agreements and maintain reciprocal diplomatic policies.
Onanuga noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously clarified Nigeria’s position following the U.S. government’s recent adjustment of its non-immigrant visa policy towards Nigerians.
“Immediately after assuming office, President Tinubu’s administration issued a service-wide directive that Nigeria implement all bilateral agreements with other nations and adhere to the principle of reciprocity in diplomatic relations.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clearly stated the position of the Federal Government of Nigeria on the recent adjustment made by the United States’ non-immigrant visa policy for Nigerians.
“The Ministry and other senior government officials will continue to engage with the United States to address the unfavourable restrictions in a just and fair manner that reflects the mutual respect and partnership that so exist between our two friendly nations.
“We want to reiterate that the US government’s claim of reciprocity as the reason for its current visa policy towards Nigeria does not accurately reflect the actual situation.
Read also: US Limits Nigerian Non-Immigrant Visas To 3 Months, Single Entry
“The Nigerian government has not deviated from granting US citizens a 5-year multiple-entry non-immigrant visa, just as the US has continued to grant the same to Nigerians.
“The 90-day single-entry Visa validity period only applies to the newly introduced e-Visas, a short-term visa category for tourists and business people who may not wish to undergo the standard visa application process and wait. The e-visa replaces the now obsolete Visa-on-arrival, which was inefficient and often used as a means of extortion. The e-visa is a fast, online process that does not require the applicant to go to the embassy. Applicants receive the e-Visa within 48 hours of submitting their application.
According to officials, the e-visa initiative is part of President Tinubu’s broader push to attract foreign investment, boost tourism, and strengthen trade by simplifying business processes for international visitors. They emphasised that the approach reflects global standards, with electronic visas now commonplace across many parts of the world.
Despite Nigeria extending this digital visa option to US citizens and nationals of several other countries, it was pointed out that Washington has yet to offer Nigerians the same courtesy in return.
Nonetheless, the Tinubu administration assured that it remains committed to sustained diplomatic engagement with the United States to address underlying concerns. It reiterated that such dialogue would continue within the framework of mutual respect and long-standing partnership that has defined bilateral ties over the years.