The United States Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo said on Tuesday that he is “optimistic” Nigeria will meet conditions to lift visa curbs.
The secretary, who made this known in a joint press conference in Washington with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, said the Trump’s administration will continue to strengthen the economic and security ties between the two Nations.
Recall that United States President, Donlad Trump wielded the big stick banning immigration from Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, and three other countries in what experts describe as an extended policy blocking travel from seven other nations.
Under this new rule unveiled by the Trump administration, citizens from Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan won’t be allowed to apply for visas to immigrate or relocate to the U.S.
This measure which was coming three years after the Trump administration’s first Executive Order which banned seven countries with Muslim nations in the majority had attracted concern as Nigeria is said to be a United States strategic partner. Apart from being the most populous country in Africa she has a huge Nigerian diasporan community in the United States with the result that Nigerian-Americans are among several US citizens excelling in key sectors such Medicine, Law, Academia, Business, Public Policy, etc.
