Nigeria’s rejection of a request from the United States to accommodate asylum seekers is one of the factors contributing to the recent visa restrictions placed on the country by President Donald Trump, TheCable has learned.

According to TheCable’s findings, this issue is part of a broader set of demands being pushed by the Trump administration, which are still under negotiation.

Diplomatic sources revealed that the US president has been pressuring multiple nations to serve as temporary hosts for asylum seekers while their applications are processed, a process that can take up to seven years.

While a number of countries have agreed to the arrangement, Nigeria has declined to participate.

Trump’s negotiation style often involves imposing significant penalties on the other party to gain leverage, a method he has used consistently in trade disputes with various nations.

VISA RELATIONS BETWEEN BOTH COUNTRIES

The US embassy announced on Tuesday a new restriction reducing the validity and entry allowances for “most” non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerians. These new rules limit visas to a single entry and a three-month stay.

Social media commentary suggested an imbalance in visa reciprocity as the reason behind the policy shift, but exact details were not disclosed by US authorities.

The move surprised many Nigerians. Initial claims that Nigeria had stopped issuing five-year visas to Americans—supposedly triggering the new US policy—were later proven false.

Nigerian visas issued by the embassy still range from three months to five years in validity, and can be single or multiple entry depending on the category.

Nigeria launched an e-visa system on March 1 to make applications easier and remove the need for in-person embassy visits or the unreliable visa-on-arrival process.

The e-visa is valid for 90 days from issue and allows for a single entry and a maximum stay of 30 days.

These new procedures are not limited to US citizens but apply to all non-ECOWAS nationals requiring a visa to enter Nigeria.

Despite the reciprocity agreement, the US does not offer a comparable visa category to Nigerian applicants.

Diplomatic insiders said the actual disagreement goes beyond the issue of visa parity.

FAILED DEAL TO SEND ASYLUM SEEKERS

Since January, Trump has signed several executive orders aimed at deporting millions of undocumented immigrants, many of whom are asylum seekers.

The US has also asked third countries to accept deportees who are not their nationals, a move that human rights advocates have widely criticised.

Central American nations like El Salvador and Panama, and African countries including Libya, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Djibouti, were among those considered for this role.

Some of these countries have already accepted a number of deportees.

On June 9, the US supreme court authorized the deportation of migrants to third countries—even those in conflict—rather than returning them to their countries of origin.

TheCable learned that Nigeria was among the nations approached by the US for this arrangement.

While the full terms of the proposal remain undisclosed, diplomatic sources confirmed discussions occurred but fell through due to Nigeria’s reluctance to accept non-citizens, many of whom still had pending asylum claims.

A significant portion of these individuals are also believed to be convicted criminals.

This proposal closely resembles the UK-Rwanda asylum deal, which has faced both legal and political hurdles and remains largely unimplemented.

Under that deal, the UK agreed to provide economic support to Rwanda and additional funds to cover the cost of processing and hosting deported migrants.

So far, the UK government has paid Rwanda £220 million as part of the plan.

However, new Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently declared the scheme “dead and buried.”

MORE DEMANDS

TheCable also learned that the US requested permission for its citizens to apply online for Nigeria’s five-year visa without needing to visit an embassy.

However, sources familiar with the talks said Nigeria declined due to concerns about a lack of reciprocity, noting that Nigerians do not receive similar treatment from the US.

In its Tuesday visa update, the US embassy stated that Nigeria must meet specific criteria to improve its visa reciprocity standing.

These include issuing secure travel documents with verified identities, managing visa overstays effectively, and sharing relevant criminal and security records with US authorities.

TheCable understands that one of the US demands is access to Nigeria’s criminal database, which would help identify Nigerians living in the US with previous criminal records for possible deportation.

‘THE ART OF THE DEAL’

Since returning to the White House, Trump has been applying principles from his book ‘The Art of the Deal’ to international relations, especially on issues related to tariffs and immigration.

His approach—marked by aggressive posturing, risky tactics, and a readiness to abandon negotiations—has shaped US policies on trade and immigration.

On tariffs, he has frequently introduced heavy levies on partner nations, only to offer temporary relief as a bargaining chip for new agreements.

Nigeria’s recent involvement with BRICS, an economic bloc often criticised by Trump, has not helped relations between the two countries.

On Wednesday, Nigeria was notably absent from a meeting Trump held at the White House with several African leaders to discuss economic cooperation.

In response to the US visa restrictions, Nigeria said the decision does not align with the values of “reciprocity, equity, and mutual respect” that should guide international partnerships.

Nigeria called on the US to reconsider its stance in the interest of global cooperation and shared responsibilities.