President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation expanding U.S. travel restrictions to include nationals from 15 additional countries, citing national security risks. Among the newly listed nations is Nigeria.
The announcement, detailed in a White House fact sheet issued on December 16, 2025, states the restrictions target countries with “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that could threaten American security.
This follows President Trump’s earlier designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” on October 31, 2025, in response to reports of widespread violence against Christians.
The White House specifically pointed to the presence of radical Islamist terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates, operating freely in parts of Nigeria as creating “substantial screening and vetting difficulties” for U.S. immigration officials.
Supporting data cited in the proclamation includes an overstay rate of 5.56% for Nigerian holders of B-1/B-2 business and tourist visas, and an 11.90% overstay rate for academic and exchange visitors (F, M, and J visas) in the 2024 fiscal year, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security’s Overstay Report.
The White House described the move as a “common sense” action to strengthen national security through data-driven immigration restrictions.
