In Diplomatic Reciprocity, Nigeria to Demand Social Media Handles from U.S. Visa Applicants
The Nigerian government has announced plans to introduce a new visa requirement compelling U.S. citizens seeking entry into the country to disclose their social media handles, mirroring a similar policy recently enforced by Washington on Nigerian travelers.
The move comes after the United States Mission in Nigeria confirmed that all applicants for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas must now provide a record of their social media usernames used in the past five years.
The requirement applies across major platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn. While applicants will not be asked to submit passwords, failure to provide the requested handles could result in visa denial or disqualification from future applications.
In a swift reaction, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country would respond in kind. Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa disclosed that an inter-agency meeting involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) would soon be convened to finalize modalities for implementing the reciprocal policy.
“Diplomatic relations are built on fairness and mutual respect. If the United States insists that Nigerians reveal their social media history before obtaining visas, then American citizens should be prepared to do the same when applying for Nigerian visas,” Ebienfa stated.
The development has sparked mixed reactions among Nigerians. While some view the U.S. directive as a necessary security measure in today’s digital world, others criticize it as intrusive and discriminatory.
Similarly, opinions on Nigeria’s retaliation are divided, with critics arguing that the policy could deter tourism and business travel, while supporters say reciprocity is essential to safeguard Nigeria’s diplomatic dignity.
The United States first introduced the mandatory social media disclosure requirement globally in 2019 under the Trump administration, citing security concerns and the need to improve vetting of foreign nationals.
However, the enforcement in Nigeria has only recently been reinforced with stricter guidelines.
If Nigeria follows through with its threat, U.S. travelers heading to the country may soon be required to provide details of their social media history as part of the visa process, marking a new phase in bilateral relations between the two nations.
