Nigeria may be affected by a new round of United States travel restrictions as the Trump administration moves to widen its travel-ban list from 19 countries to more than 30. Nigeria is already classified by the administration as a “country of concern,” a designation that places it under active review for possible inclusion once the expanded list is announced.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the US is reassessing countries it believes do not have strong enough vetting systems or stable governments to reliably screen travellers before they head to America. Her comments came after a November 28 shooting near the White House involving a 29-year-old Afghan national who arrived in the US in 2021 and received asylum earlier this year. The incident revived debate over the administration’s stricter immigration approach and led to an immediate halt in new Afghan visa and asylum processing.

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Nigeria sits on the internal list of countries being reviewed, along with several others across Africa. While the administration has not confirmed which restrictions may apply to Nigeria, the June executive order that guides the process shows the factors under consideration, including identity-management weaknesses, visa-overstay issues and difficulties returning deported nationals.

The broader tightening comes as US agencies roll out new enforcement measures. One is a voluntary “self-deportation” programme that offers undocumented immigrants a free one-way flight out of the US and a $1,000 incentive to leave. Another is the creation of a new immigration-vetting centre in Atlanta, where advanced screening systems will review new applications, pending cases and even some previously approved ones. Applicants from countries marked as “of concern,” including Nigeria, will receive more intensive checks.

The US government is expected to issue further updates after the ongoing review, leaving Nigeria among the countries most closely watched as Washington reshapes its travel-ban policy.