The Nigerian government says it will respond firmly to the new US visa policy that requires Nigerians to disclose their social media details from the past five years when applying for visas.
On Monday, the US Mission to Nigeria announced that all visa applicants must list every social media account they have used in the last five years on the DS-160 form. The Mission warned that failing to provide this information could result in visa rejection and difficulty obtaining US visas in the future.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed the government was informed about these changes ahead of time, saying Nigeria plans to take reciprocal measures.
We understand their position because visa rules are often reciprocal. If Nigerians must provide this information to get a US visa, then Americans applying to Nigeria might have to do the same – Ebienfa
He added the government will hold a meeting involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and National Intelligence Agency to decide the best response.
For now, the Nigerian government’s planned retaliation could affect Americans seeking visas to Nigeria. The back-and-forth shows the sensitive nature of international travel rules and stresses the need for dialogue between countries.
