Claim: A YouTube account claims that President Donald Trump has banned Nigerians from travelling to the United States. Verdict: False. Nigerians are not banned from entering the United States, but a new visa policy limits many non-immigrant visas to single entry with three-month validity. Background Nigeria–U.S. relations in late 2025 remain active but strained. While
Claim:
A YouTube account claims that President Donald Trump has banned Nigerians from travelling to the United States.
Verdict:
False. Nigerians are not banned from entering the United States, but a new visa policy limits many non-immigrant visas to single entry with three-month validity.
Background
Nigeria–U.S. relations in late 2025 remain active but strained. While both countries continue to cooperate on trade, education, business, cultural exchange, and security, recent diplomatic tensions and visa policy changes have created friction.
In July 2025, the U.S. adjusted its visa rules for Nigeria. Most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas are now single-entry visas valid for three months, replacing the previous multi-year, multiple-entry option commonly issued to Nigerians.
Additional tensions emerged following U.S. threats of possible military action over the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Nigeria rejected the accusation but expressed willingness to work with the U.S. on security issues under clearly defined terms.
Amid these developments, social media posts and online videos have gone viral, falsely claiming that Nigerians have been banned from entering the U.S.
According to the voiceover in the video, the alleged ban on Nigerians and other countries concerns the recent visa restriction to “19 countries of concern”, and President Trump had reportedly vowed to allow citizens to enter the United States based on the value they would add.
This prompted NDRFactCheck to verify the claim. See the screenshot of the claim below:
Verification
NDRFactCheck reviewed credible sources, including the U.S. Immigration Service and recent reports on visa policy changes.
A recent U.S. review concerns citizens from 19 “high-risk” countries, following an incident involving an Afghan national who shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
According to Al Jazeera, countries currently under a full travel ban include: Afghanistan, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Countries under a partial ban, where only some visa categories are restricted, include Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Nigeria is not listed among countries with either full or partial U.S. travel bans.
Additionally, the website of the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria confirms that Nigeria is subject only to a visa policy review, not a travel ban. As stated,
“Non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.”
Implication
For Nigerians travelling to the U.S. for study, work, business, or tourism, the main impact is:
- Shorter visa validity,
- Single-entry restriction,
- Tighter scrutiny during visa processing, and
- Increased uncertainty.
This is not equivalent to a ban.
Conclusion
While relations between the U.S. and Nigeria are presently tense, they are still working. Nigerian citizens are not subject to a travel ban. Any statements claiming that President Donald Trump has prohibited Nigerians from entering the United States are untrue.
