The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce reciprocal visa measures in response to the United States’ new policy requiring Nigerian visa applicants to disclose their social media history from the past five years.

The US Mission in Nigeria disclosed the policy in a post on its official X account, noting that failure to provide social media handles and usernames could lead to visa denial and possible future ineligibility. 

Applicants are now required to list all usernames, email addresses, handles, and phone numbers associated with any social media platforms they have used in the last five years when filling out the DS-160 form.

This latest requirement extends beyond earlier rules that applied primarily to student visa seekers and is part of broader immigration tightening measures introduced by the Trump administration to strengthen national security.

Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that Nigeria will implement similar conditions for American citizens seeking Nigerian visas.

“What you are mandating our nationals to do, we will also mandate your citizens applying for our visa to do,” Ebienfa said. 

He further revealed that an inter-agency meeting, involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Intelligence Agency, will be convened to work out Nigeria’s comprehensive response.

The move comes against the backdrop of a series of US visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian nationals, including the reduction of visa validity to single-entry, three-month permits—down from previously extended multiple-entry authorizations. 

The US has justified these measures on grounds of reciprocity and concerns over visa overstays.