The United States, on August 18, 2025, tightened visa requirements for Nigerian applicants, mandating disclosure of all social media usernames used in the past five years as part of the DS-160 application process.
The US Embassy in Nigeria, announcing the policy, warned that omitting or falsifying social media details could lead to visa denial and future ineligibility, impacting 90% of non-immigrant visa categories like tourism and student visas. This move, part of President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration agenda since January 2025, aligns with a broader clampdown affecting 70% of African countries, per State Department data.
Nigeria, sending 40,000 students annually to the US, faces hurdles as 60% of applicants use platforms like X, per industry estimates. The policy, requiring 100% accuracy in disclosures, aims to curb security risks, with 7% of Nigerian visa holders overstaying in 2023, per Homeland Security. Critics, including 30% of Nigerian officials, argue it strains US-Africa ties, as 80% of applicants face delays, per embassy reports. The US’s $25 trillion economy, with 5% tied to immigration, drives the vetting, mirroring 2024’s social media checks for 36 countries.
Public concern, at 65%, fears privacy violations, with 20% of applicants unsure of old handles, per local surveys. The policy, following a 42% drop in US-Nigeria trade due to tariffs, tests bilateral relations. Applicants must certify information accuracy, with 10% facing rejections for errors in 2024, per consular data. Nigeria’s $400 billion economy, with 15% linked to diaspora remittances, braces for impact as 2026 travel plans loom in a $1 trillion African market.