A professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies at the University of Lagos, David Aworawo, has urged the Nigerian government to act swiftly and diplomatically to secure the lifting of the recent visa restrictions imposed on Nigeria by the United States.
Aworawo said the cost of the partial restriction is significant and requires urgent intervention by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to prevent prolonged diplomatic and economic damage.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Thursday, the professor said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must immediately engage the US State Department to present Nigeria’s position and clarify what he described as misconceptions behind the decision.
According to him, Nigeria’s inclusion on the list is unjustified, given the country’s ongoing cooperation with US authorities in tackling terrorism, including efforts against Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Aworawo said: “The cost is huge, and the government has to act very quickly so that this partial restriction can be lifted as soon as possible.
“In terms of what the government can and should do, there is a lot. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to get in touch with the State Department to present the facts.
“To be fair to Nigeria, the ban is actually, I will say, uncalled for, given that the Nigerian authorities are working with the American authorities to address this hydra-headed problem of terrorism, including ISWAP, Boko Haram, and the rest.
“Secondly, Nigeria has over 400,000 people of Nigerian descent in the United States—maybe up to half a million. There is no record of any of them being involved in terrorism all these years. The only case we had was Abdul Mutallab, who didn’t even live in the US permanently and was hardly Nigerian; he lived here for a few years, then went to Togo and the UK, and that was 16 years ago, in 2009.
“So when one looks at Nigeria’s record, it is surprising that Nigeria has been added to the list. Nigeria has to present all of these facts to the State Department and the US legislature. The Nigerian ambassador in the US has to be very active and charismatic. These are the measures the government should take.
“The government also needs to lobby. Lobbying achieves a lot so that the Nigerian position can be presented, and this issue can be addressed quickly. There is a glimmer of hope. For example, Turkmenistan, one of the countries under a partial ban in the earlier restrictions, had its ban lifted two days ago after cooperating with the US. They worked together and made progress.
“If Nigeria follows that track, we are confident that this partial ban can be lifted in a short while.”
Visa restriction: What Tinubu govt should do to escape Trump’s ban – Prof Aworawo
