Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and chairman of the Ecowas Mediation and Security Council, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has expressed deep concern over reports suggesting that all Ecowas member states may be affected by a new wave of United States visa restrictions.
This concern came after reports suggest that under President Donald Trump, the US government was considering new travel bans affecting The Gambia, Senegal and other Ecowas members. The proposed restrictions, reportedly tied to compliance benchmarks set by the US State Department, would give the listed countries 60 days to meet new identity documentation and governance standards.
Countries on the proposed list include The Gambia, Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and others.
According to a US government memo, some countries fail to meet benchmarks due to unreliable civil documentation systems or widespread government fraud.
However, speaking on Wednesday at the opening of the 54th Ordinary Session of the Ecowas Mediation and Security Council at the Ministerial Level in Abuja, Tuggar warned that such a move would significantly hinder trade, diplomatic engagement, and regional growth.
“It would be most unfortunate if it comes to pass, because we are a region of opportunities ready to make deals. We would like to do deals with the US, but visa restrictions are non-tariff barriers to deals. The policy is a diplomatic misstep… We in this part of the world are students of the Art of the Deal and have been part of the international trading system even before the modern state system.”
The minister urged the US to reconsider its approach, cautioning that the region has alternative options.
