🇳🇬 Nigeria Rejects Trump’s Push to Accept Venezuelan Deportees
Daily Radar | July 12, 2025 | Abuja
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has firmly rejected pressure from the Trump administration to accept deported Venezuelan nationals and third-country prisoners from the United States, citing national interest and quoting American rap legends Public Enemy to underscore his stance.
“In the words of the famous US rap group Public Enemy… ‘I can’t do nothin’ for you, man,’” Tuggar said during an interview with Nigeria’s Channels TV. “We already have over 230 million people,” he added.
The Trump administration has recently been pressing African nations to accept migrants and prisoners being deported from the US—especially those whose home countries have refused or delayed repatriation. Tuggar stressed that it would be “unfair” and “unreasonable” for Nigeria to accept 300 deportees from Venezuela, a country with which Nigeria has limited diplomatic ties.
US Policy, Visa Restrictions & BRICS Pressure
This rejection comes amid broader tensions between the US and some African countries. The US recently announced that nearly all non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ethiopia would be limited to single-entry and valid for only three months.
Washington denies that the visa restrictions are retaliatory, claiming the changes are based on “technical and security benchmarks.” However, Tuggar described the move as a pressure tactic linked to Nigeria’s emerging ties with the BRICS alliance—a group of 11 countries seeking to challenge Western dominance in global affairs.
Nigeria joined BRICS as a partner in January 2025, although it is not yet a full member. President Donald Trump has made clear that countries aligning with BRICS policies that oppose US interests could face an extra 10% tariff on exports to the United States.
Deportation Diplomacy and Summit Fallout
According to the Wall Street Journal, the US had already asked the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Liberia, and Senegal—who were in Washington this week for a White House summit—to accept deported migrants whose original home countries were uncooperative.
Trump hinted at these talks during the summit, saying,
“I hope we can bring down the high rates of people overstaying visas, and also make progress on the safe third-country agreements.”
But several leaders, including Liberia’s foreign minister, have denied any discussions on accepting deportees.
Meanwhile, Tuggar reaffirmed that Nigeria was open to constructive trade relations with the US but would not allow itself to be bullied. “We are looking to do deals with the US. We have gas, rare earths, and critical minerals,” he said.
A Broader Shift in US-Africa Relations
The Trump administration’s push to tie foreign aid, trade access, and visa policies to deportation cooperation marks a shift in Washington’s engagement with Africa. Critics say it risks undermining diplomatic goodwill and reducing African countries to bargaining chips in broader geopolitical games.
For now, Nigeria appears unwilling to comply. As Minister Tuggar concluded bluntly:
“We have enough problems of our own. We cannot accept Venezuelan deportees into Nigeria, for crying out loud.”