President Tinubu Government has reportedly rejected Trump administration’s pressure to accept Venezuelan deportees.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that President Bola Tinubu’s Federal Government of Nigeria has firmly rejected pressure from the Donald Trump administration to accept Venezuelan deportees from the United States.
This Nigeria news platform understands that Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, made the declaration during a televised interview, stressing that Nigeria, with its population of 230 million, cannot absorb foreign deportees, especially prisoners, as the country grapples with its own socio-economic challenges.
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Tuggar’s remarks come on the heels of President Bola Tinubu’s participation at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held from July 6 to 7, 2025. During the summit’s closing session, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new 10% trade tariff targeting “anti-American” BRICS nations, including Nigeria.
While addressing the tariff hike, Tuggar clarified that it may not be directly linked to Nigeria’s involvement in BRICS, but highlighted ongoing U.S. efforts to pressure African nations into accepting deported Venezuelans, including some recently released from American prisons.
“It would be difficult for countries like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We already have 230 million people and enough challenges of our own,” Tuggar said.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the minister also confirmed that the Tinubu administration has initiated diplomatic discussions with the U.S. over the new visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian nationals. He additionally described similar travel restrictions by the United Arab Emirates as “regrettable.”
Nigeria joined the BRICS+ bloc in January 2025 as a partner nation. The expanded group, now including countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE, represents nearly 40% of global economic output and half the world’s population.
