Former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has reacted to the recent United States visa restrictions affecting Nigerians and citizens of 23 other countries, describing the policy as exclusionary and urging affected nations to focus on rebuilding their countries.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced expanded entry restrictions on foreign nationals from 24 countries, citing persistent deficiencies in screening, vetting and information-sharing that, according to the administration, pose risks to US national security and public safety.
The affected countries include several African nations such as Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Ghana, South Sudan and others, alongside a few Asian, Caribbean and Middle Eastern territories.
Reacting via his official X handle on Wednesday, Sani criticised both the scope and implications of the policy, noting that many Nigerians initially misunderstood the earlier visa restrictions.
“The first visa ban focused on those who engage in acts of religious persecution, and many people celebrated on social media, thinking it applied only to government officials,” he wrote.
He said the new restrictions, which include Nigeria, have wider implications. “The second visa restriction is for everyone, now that Nigeria is listed among 23 others,” he added.
Sani further questioned the composition of the affected countries, suggesting that the policy appeared selectively applied.
“The recent list has no Arab countries but mostly Black African and Caribbean nations, even though safety and security were cited as the basis,” he stated.
According to him, the policy sends a clear message to developing countries. “Third-world migrants are not welcome. Stay back and build your country or deal with your problems,” he said.
According to a White House fact sheet, the proclamation imposes a full suspension of entry on eight countries and partial restrictions on 16 others, covering both immigrant and non-immigrant visa categories, including B, F, M and J visas. The US administration said the measures are necessary to mitigate risks where sufficient information is lacking to properly assess visa applicants.
