Trump considers fresh Visa ban on Nigeria, 35 other countries

United States President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the possibility of adding Nigeria and several African nations to a new list of countries to be affected by a visa restriction policy.

According to The Washington Post, an internal memo signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that 36 countries may soon be hit with a travel ban, pending the president’s final approval.

The Trump administration cited issues such as poor government transparency, weak national databases for vetting travelers, widespread document fraud, and a high number of visa overstays among citizens of the affected countries as reasons behind the planned restrictions.

Among the African nations listed are Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, Liberia, Niger, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The memo reportedly directed U.S. diplomats in these countries to notify their governments, giving them 60 days to outline clear plans on how they intend to meet new immigration security standards set by the U.S.

This planned move follows a similar travel ban earlier imposed on 12 countries, mainly in Africa and the Middle East, as part of Washington’s push to tighten its immigration system.

The proposal has drawn reactions across diplomatic quarters, particularly because the list includes Egypt and Djibouti, two of America’s closest African military allies.

If approved, the policy would mark another bold step in President Trump’s tough immigration strategy, placing Nigeria and other African countries at risk of facing new restrictions on travel to the United States.