US Visa Policy Change Caught FG Off Guard Over Tinubu’s Failure To Appoint Ambassador

US Visa Policy Change reportedly caught FG off guard over Tinubu’s failure to appoint ambassador two years later.

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Federal Government has been caught off guard by a major US visa policy change, nearly two years after President Bola Tinubu failed to appoint a Nigerian ambassador to Washington.

On Tuesday, the United States government announced a revision of its visa policy for Nigerians, stating that most nonimmigrant and non-official visas would now be limited to single-entry and three-month validity—effective immediately. The US Mission to Nigeria said the move was a direct response to Nigeria’s own restrictive visa terms for American citizens.

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The abrupt change has sparked criticism and concern over the Tinubu administration’s neglect of key diplomatic appointments. Since recalling all 82 ambassadors appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2023, including Nigeria’s former ambassador to the US, Dr. Uzoma Emenike, no replacement has been named for the crucial post in Washington.

As a result, Nigeria has had no high-ranking envoy in the US for nearly a year, with only a lower-level chargé d’affaires handling routine matters. Diplomats and analysts say this vacuum severely limited Nigeria’s ability to anticipate or counter the US policy shift, which had reportedly been under review since the Trump administration.

In a bid to contain the fallout, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said on Wednesday that the Nigerian government was actively engaging with US officials to seek a reversal of the new policy. She met with US Ambassador Richard Mills Jr. in Abuja, describing the talks as “constructive.”

“While consultations continue, we urge Nigerian travellers to strictly comply with visa conditions and ensure all documents are genuine, current, and accurate,” Ojukwu advised.

The US Department of State clarified that the new rules apply to all visas issued from July 8, 2025, while existing visas remain valid under previous terms.

This episode marks the longest diplomatic vacancy Nigeria has had in Washington in over two decades. Between 1960 and 2023, Nigeria appointed 21 heads of mission to the US, none of whom left the post unfilled for this long.

It remains unclear when the Tinubu administration intends to appoint a substantive ambassador to the United States or whether further diplomatic consequences may follow.