Former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has weighed in on the recent decision by the United States government to impose new visa restrictions on Nigeria and 23 other countries, describing the move as discriminatory and a clear signal to developing nations to focus inward.
The restrictions were announced on Tuesday by President Donald Trump, who cited long-standing gaps in screening, vetting and information-sharing processes as reasons for the policy, which the administration says are necessary to protect U.S. national security and public safety.
Nigeria is among several African countries affected, alongside Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Others on the list include Laos, Syria and Turkmenistan in Asia, as well as Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Tonga. The proclamation also applies to holders of Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents.
Reacting via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, Sani criticised the broad scope of the latest restrictions, noting that initial reactions to earlier visa bans underestimated their eventual impact.
“The first visa ban targeted people accused of religious persecution, and many people celebrated online, believing it would only affect government officials,” he said. “The second restriction is now for everyone, with Nigeria listed among 23 other countries.”
The former lawmaker also raised concerns about what he described as selective targeting, pointing out that the affected countries were largely from Africa and the Caribbean.
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“The new list contains no Arab countries but mostly Black African and Caribbean nations, even though safety and security are being used as justification,” Sani stated. “The message is clear: third-world migrants are not welcome. Stay back, build your country, or confront your problems at home.”
According to a White House fact sheet, the proclamation enforces a full suspension of entry for nationals of eight countries and partial restrictions on 16 others.
The measures affect both immigrant and non-immigrant visa categories, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas.
The U.S. government maintains that the policy is aimed at preventing the entry of individuals for whom adequate information is unavailable to properly assess potential security risks.