ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation imposing further limits on entry into the United States for nationals of countries considered high-risk due to “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that pose threats to U.S. national security and public safety.
Nigeria is among the 15 additional countries newly placed under partial travel restrictions.
The development was announced on the White House website in a fact sheet titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” issued on December 16, 2025. Previously, on October 31, Trump had designated Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern’ following allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.
Explaining Nigeria’s inclusion, the United States said, “Radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State operate freely in certain parts of Nigeria, which creates substantial screening and vetting difficulties”.
Data from the Overstay Report showed that Nigeria recorded a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 5.56 per cent, while the overstay rate for F, M, and J visas stood at 11.90 per cent.
The White House described the proclamation as “strengthening national security through common sense restrictions based on data.”
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The proclamation maintains full entry bans and restrictions on nationals of the original 12 high-risk countries listed under Proclamation 10949: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
It also extends full restrictions to five additional countries Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria as well as individuals using Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously under partial restrictions, have now been subjected to full restrictions.
Nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela continue to face partial restrictions, while 15 new countries including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have been added to the partial restriction list.
According to the fact sheet, “exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories like athletes and diplomats, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests” will still apply.
It added that family-based immigrant visa exemptions associated with “demonstrated fraud risks” have been tightened, although waivers may still be granted on a case-by-case basis.
The White House explained that the measure is intended “to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives.”
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Quoting Trump directly, the fact sheet stated: “It is the President’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people.”
Following consultations with cabinet officials and reviews conducted under Executive Order 14161, Proclamation 10949, and country-specific assessments, the document said “President Trump has determined that the entry of nationals from additional countries must be restricted or limited to protect U.S. national security and public safety interests.”
The restrictions are tailored to individual countries “in order to encourage cooperation with the subject countries in recognition of each country’s unique circumstances,” citing issues such as “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records, and nonexistent birth-registration systems systemically preventing accurate vetting.”
The fact sheet further noted that some countries “refuse to share passport exemplars or law-enforcement data,” while others operate Citizenship-by-Investment programmes that obscure identity and bypass vetting standards.
Additional concerns highlighted include “high visa-overstay rates and refusal to repatriate removable nationals,” as well as the presence of “terrorist, criminal, and extremist activity.”
Framing the move as part of Trump’s broader security agenda, the White House said: “President Trump is keeping his promise to restore travel restrictions on dangerous countries and to secure our borders.”
The document also referenced a previous Supreme Court ruling that upheld similar measures, stating that the policy “is squarely within the scope of Presidential authority” and is “expressly premised on legitimate purposes,” particularly “preventing entry of nationals who cannot be adequately vetted and inducing other nations to improve their practices.”
Finally, the fact sheet disclosed that Turkmenistan has shown improved cooperation with U.S. authorities, leading the new proclamation to lift restrictions on its nonimmigrant visas, while the suspension of immigrant entry for Turkmen nationals remains in place.