Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Nurudeen Mohammed, has warned that Nigeria is facing the consequences of years of poor global perception, weak identity management and mishandled security narratives, following new United States visa restrictions that place Nigeria on a partial suspension list.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Mohammed described the development as a troubling moment for the country, saying Nigeria’s international image has deteriorated significantly.
“These are very difficult times for Nigeria. Unfortunately, for months running into years, Nigeria has gained what I would call infamous visibility around the world,” he said.
Mohammed said domestic conversations around insecurity and governance have been “weaponised” internationally, largely because Nigeria failed to consistently project its own narrative abroad.
“Sometimes it is the domestic conversations that are weaponised at the global level. Our side of the story was never heard. The conversation within Nigeria became very toxic and those unsavoury voices were left unchecked,” he said.
He argued that the United States’ decision, under President Donald Trump, aligns with long-standing policy positions and campaign promises focused on national security and strict immigration controls.
“The Trump presidency is not here to joke. Since January, the president has been very clear and determined to keep his base happy and extract the best possible concessions for his country,” Mohammed said.
Under the new measures, Nigeria faces suspension of B1/B2 visitor visas, student visas (F), exchange programmes (J), and technical visas (M)*,” with a review period of 180 days.
“These categories are outright suspensions. It does not affect holders of valid visas, but anyone applying from January 1 is caught in the net,” he explained.
Mohammed warned that the impact would be severe for ordinary Nigerians, given that Nigeria’s relationship with the US is largely built on educational, cultural and scientific exchanges.
“If you remove business visas, tourist visas, student visas and exchange programmes, you have taken away a large chunk of where ordinary Nigerians engage the United States,” he said.
He said Nigeria’s biggest challenge lies in **identity management, which he described as deeply flawed.
“It is a very sad story that we do not even have a clear identity of who Nigerians are. Entire villages can be kidnapped, negotiations go on for weeks, and nobody knows who is calling,” he said.
According to Mohammed, insecurity, banditry and terrorism have damaged Nigeria’s credibility internationally, while attempts to downplay violence have worsened the situation.
“People descend on villages with military-grade weapons, and officials still describe it as farmer-herder clashes. That makes Nigeria look very unserious,” he said.
He insisted the country is facing a war and must confront it honestly.
“This is a war. The earlier we remove ethnic, religious and regional sentiments and treat criminals as criminals, the better. Otherwise, the world will treat us as criminals,” he warned.
Mohammed also highlighted concerns raised by the US over document fraud, fake marriages and visa overstays, describing them as cultural issues Nigerians must confront.
“We have a forgery culture, and we must be honest about it. From forged certificates to visa overstays, these patterns allow others to profile us, and unfortunately, we have been profiled,” he said.
He cautioned that unless Nigeria demonstrates credible improvements in security, identity management and compliance within the 180-day review window, the restrictions could worsen.
“Nigeria should wake up. If after 180 days the story remains the same, the consequences will be even more severe,” Mohammed concluded.
Boluwatife Enome
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