• Nigeria's foreign minister rejects US pressure to accept Venezuelan deportees.
• The country is dealing with its own domestic challenges, including a large population.
• Recent US visa restrictions have been criticized as unilateral and non-reciprocal.

Nigeria's Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, has declared that Nigeria will not succumb to pressure from the Trump administration to accept Venezuelan deportees, emphasizing that the nation is grappling with its own issues, including a population exceeding 230 million. "It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own," Tuggar stated during an interview with Channels TV, highlighting that Nigeria cannot accommodate deported individuals, especially those coming directly from US prisons, according to BBC and Reuters.

The US government recently extended its immigration enforcement tactics, asking several African nations, including Nigeria, to accept deportees from third countries. This push was reportedly discussed during a meeting between President Trump and leaders from Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau, where Trump sought cooperation on migrant transfer policies. Tuggar emphasized that accepting these deportees would be infeasible, given Nigeria's own challenges, and criticized the notion that visa restrictions imposed on Nigeria were justified as reciprocal measures, as reported by NPR and Reuters.

The US Department of State recently imposed new visa restrictions for Nigerian citizens, limiting most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas to single-entry validity of only three months. These restrictions have drawn significant backlash in Nigeria, with officials arguing that they are in retaliation for the country’s refusal to comply with US deportation requests rather than any genuine reciprocal practice, according to BBC and NPR.

Tuggar emphasized Nigeria's intention to pursue diplomatic engagements with the US that focus on mutual interests such as oil and critical minerals while firmly standing against negotiations that compromise Nigeria's sovereignty regarding migrant acceptance. He quoted lyrics from the US rap group Public Enemy to underline his point, stating, "Flava Flav has problems of his own. I can't do nothing for you, man," reiterating Nigeria's position on this contentious issue, according to Reuters and NPR.