By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The United States Government has clarified that a proposed visa review affecting 36 countries is not a blanket travel ban on Africa or Nigeria.
The announcement came during a press briefing on Monday, where US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce addressed concerns raised by journalists about the status of the plan.
Bruce, in a June 17 press briefing in Washington, DC, said the move is guided by national security requirements outlined in President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14161, which mandates stricter scrutiny of visa applicants to ensure they do not pose a threat to US public safety.
However, she stressed that geography is not a factor in the decision-making process. “The continent or location of a country is not a consideration,” she said. “This is about whether we can trust the visa information provided by each country.”
The visa review is aimed at assessing how well foreign governments manage key processes such as identity verification, security information sharing, handling of visa overstays, and cooperation with the US on deportations. Nations that do not meet the US standard will be asked to make improvements and will be given time to do so.
Contrary to reports suggesting a June 18 deadline for countries to submit action plans, Bruce said that was incorrect.
“They will have a considerable amount of time to rectify whatever the situation is,” she explained. “The goal is to reach a point where we can trust the process and the information provided by these countries. That’s how we determine visa eligibility.”
For Nigeria, this means no immediate travel restrictions but a continued need for cooperation with US authorities on visa documentation, security vetting, and related processes.
Nigeria was previously affected by a similar policy in 2020, when it was added to a list of countries with restricted access to certain types of US visas due to concerns over data sharing and terrorist watchlist information. After high-level engagement and system upgrades, Nigeria was eventually removed from that list.
This latest review appears to follow a similar structure, giving countries an opportunity to fix identified weaknesses rather than imposing automatic bans.
For thousands of Nigerians seeking student visas, work permits, and tourism access to the US, the key will be how well the government continues to collaborate with Washington on security and identity verification procedures.