Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has said that the United States’ expanding visa restrictions on ECOWAS countries pose a serious threat to trade and investment opportunities. He warned that these non-tariff barriers could hinder partnerships, despite Nigeria’s readiness to strike business deals with the US.
Tuggar made the statement during the 54th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council held in Abuja. He called the visa policy “most unfortunate” and a direct obstacle to economic cooperation.
US Visa Ban Blocking Nigeria’s Economic Prospects
“We would like to do deals with the US, but visa restrictions are non-tariff barriers to deals,” Tuggar said. “We are a region of opportunities ready to do deals.”
According to him, Nigeria and other ECOWAS nations hold strategic minerals and trade potential that remain untapped due to unnecessary visa restrictions. He pointed to Bauchi State’s rare earth elements like Samarium as an example of the region’s untapped value.
The minister said the US should see West Africa as a strategic alternative for energy and mineral supply, especially given today’s geopolitical shifts. “So, we will do deals for our prosperity,” he said. “The only question is with whom?”
Nigeria Ready for Business, But Not With Closed Doors
Tuggar stressed that real growth depends on open channels for technocrats, business executives, and government officials. “Who takes up the opportunities in our region by allowing government officials and technocrats, business executives and entrepreneurs to travel freely back and forth to close the deals?” he asked.
The statement comes amid reports that the United States is considering travel restrictions on all ECOWAS countries. The Trump administration had already blacklisted multiple African nations including Somalia, Chad, Libya, Sudan, and Eritrea, among others.
Nigeria Says US Visa Ban Blocks Business Deals
Nigeria has declared its readiness to do business, but the message is clear: visa bans must not stand in the way. Tuggar’s remarks emphasize a critical poin, economic cooperation cannot thrive with walls and barriers. As Nigeria says US visa ban blocks business deals, the ball is now in Washington’s court.
