News
US Tightens Entry Rules, Flags Nigeria, 37 Others For Visa Bonds
Nigerians and other foreign travellers seeking the United States’ B1/B2 business and tourist visas may soon be required to post visa bonds of up to $15,000, following a new travel directive issued by the US Department of State.
The policy, which further tightens entry conditions for visitors, comes barely a week after the United States imposed partial travel restrictions on Nigeria and some other countries.
Visa bonds are financial guarantees demanded by the US government from certain applicants considered to be from “high-risk” countries.
The bond is meant to ensure compliance with visa conditions, including timely departure from the United States at the expiration of the authorised stay.
According to information published on the Department of State’s website, Travel.State.Gov, payment of such fees without the express instruction of a consular officer does not guarantee visa approval and will not be refunded.
Nigeria, 23 Other African Countries Listed
Out of the 38 countries listed under the new requirement, 24 are African nations, including Nigeria, according to the updated list released by the Department on Tuesday, January 6.
The Department stated that nationals from the listed countries have been identified as requiring visa bonds, with specific implementation dates assigned to each country.
Countries affected include Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia and Nepal.
Others are Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In Nigeria’s case, the US government cited security concerns, including the activities of radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in parts of the country.
The Department said these factors have resulted in “substantial screening and vetting difficulties” for Nigerian visa applicants.
Nigeria’s implementation date has been fixed for January 21, 2026.
Overstay Concerns
The US also justified Nigeria’s inclusion by citing visa overstay rates. According to the Department, Nigeria recorded an overstay rate of 5.56 per cent for B1/B2 visas and 11.90 per cent for F, M and J student and exchange visas.
As a result, the travel suspension covers both immigrant visas and several non-immigrant categories, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas.
The directive states that, “Any citizen or national travelling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is otherwise found eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The amount is determined during the visa interview.”
Applicants will also be required to submit the Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-352 and agree to the bond terms through the US Department of the Treasury’s online payment platform, Pay.gov.
The requirement applies irrespective of where the visa application is submitted.
Visa holders who post bonds must enter the United States through designated airports, including Boston Logan International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The Department clarified that bonds would only be refunded if the Department of Homeland Security records the visa holder’s departure on or before the expiration of authorised stay, if the applicant does not travel before the visa expires, or if the traveller applies for admission at a US port of entry and is denied entry.
Nigeria was among 15 mostly African countries placed under partial travel suspensions by the US government on December 16, further underscoring the tightening of America’s immigration and travel policies toward the affected nations.
Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has been taken into custody by operatives of the Department of State Services shortly after his release from the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
The former minister was reportedly arrested on Thursday after completing his bail conditions granted by a Federal High Court.
Malami was taken into custody by DSS operatives moments after leaving the correctional facility, where he had been held following his arraignment.
Although details of the arrest were yet to be officially disclosed, it was gathered that the former Attorney-General is facing a fresh investigation by the secret police.
A security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the arrest was not connected to the charges for which he was earlier remanded in prison.
Investigations revealed that the new development may be linked to the alleged discovery of arms at Malami’s country home in Kebbi State.
According to findings, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission reportedly uncovered the arms during a search of the former minister’s residence, prompting security concerns that attracted the attention of the DSS.
However, as of the time of filing this report, neither the DSS nor the EFCC had issued an official statement confirming the discovery or the nature of the alleged arms.
Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday granted Malami bail alongside his wife and son.
The court fixed bail at ₦500 million each, with two sureties in like sum, ordering that the sureties must be persons of verifiable means and acceptable to the court.
The former minister was said to have fulfilled the bail conditions before his release from Kuje Prison.
Prior to his rearrest, Malami had raised concerns over what he described as a plot by the DSS to re-arrest him.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, the former Attorney-General alleged that operatives of the DSS had been carrying out surveillance around the correctional centre.
He claimed that the move was aimed at re-arresting him immediately after his release.
The statement read in part that the alleged surveillance heightened fears within Malami’s camp about possible violations of his rights, despite complying with court orders.
Background
Malami, who served as Attorney-General of the Federation from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been under intense scrutiny by anti-corruption and security agencies since leaving office.
His tenure was marked by several controversial legal decisions and high-profile cases, many of which attracted public criticism and legal challenges.
In recent months, Malami has faced multiple investigations linked to alleged financial improprieties and abuse of office, although he has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The latest arrest by the DSS further deepens the legal troubles of the former justice minister and adds another layer to the ongoing probes involving him and members of his family.
The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have signed a far-reaching agreement aimed at improving lecturers’ welfare, ensuring industrial harmony and ending decades of recurring disruptions in federal universities.
The landmark move is expected to reshape Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
The 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement was unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who described the pact as a historic turning point capable of restoring trust and stability to the nation’s university system after years of strikes and academic uncertainty.
“This is more than the unveiling of a document. It symbolises renewed trust, restored confidence and a decisive turning point in the history of Nigeria’s tertiary education system,” Alausa said.
The education minister credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with taking what he described as an unprecedented step by directly confronting the prolonged crisis that had crippled public universities, disrupted academic calendars and dashed the hopes of millions of students.
“For the first time in our history, a sitting President confronted this challenge head-on and gave it the leadership attention it truly deserved,” Alausa said.
According to him, the administration deliberately chose “dialogue over discord, reform over delay, and resolution over rhetoric” in resolving the decades-old impasse between the government and university lecturers.
A major highlight of the agreement is the 40 per cent upward review of the emoluments of academic staff, approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
Alausa disclosed that the new salary structure would take effect from January 1, 2026.
Under the revised framework, lecturers’ pay will consist of the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary and an enhanced Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance.
The strengthened CATA is designed to support journal publications, conference participation, internet access, professional memberships and book development, in line with global academic standards and efforts to curb brain drain.
The agreement also restructures nine Earned Academic Allowances, which the minister said are now clearly defined, transparently earned and directly tied to duties performed.
These include postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical responsibilities, examination duties and academic leadership roles.
The move, according to stakeholders, is expected to improve accountability while rewarding productivity within the university system.
In another first for Nigeria’s university system, the Federal Government approved a Professorial Cadre Allowance for full-time Professors and Readers.
Under the scheme, Professors will receive ₦1.74m annually (₦140,000 monthly), while Readers will earn ₦840,000 annually (₦70,000 monthly).
Alausa explained that the allowance recognises the academic, administrative and research responsibilities of senior academics.
According to him, the initiative is meant to enhance research coordination, academic documentation and administrative efficiency, enabling senior scholars to devote more time to teaching, mentorship and innovation.
“This intervention is not cosmetic. It is structural, practical and transformative,” the minister said.
The minister praised President Tinubu’s “uncommon, courageous and people-centred leadership,” noting that sustained engagement, fiscal realism and mutual respect made it possible to resolve what many had considered an intractable crisis spanning more than two decades.
He assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s commitment to the faithful implementation of the agreement under the Renewed Hope Agenda, pledging continuous engagement with stakeholders and sustained reforms in the education sector.
Education stakeholders say the agreement ushers in a new era of stability and excellence for Nigerian universities, restoring predictability to academic calendars and renewed hope to students and parents nationwide.
Alausa also commended members of both negotiating teams—led by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed for the Federal Government and Professor Pius Piwuna for ASUU, as well as the immediate past ASUU leadership under Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, for laying the groundwork for the breakthrough.
“History will remember today not just as an unveiling ceremony,” the minister concluded, “but as the day Nigeria chose dialogue, transparency and strong presidential commitment as the pathway to resolving long-standing governance challenges.”
With the agreement now sealed, many Nigerians are hopeful that the era of prolonged university shutdowns is giving way to stability, productivity and global competitiveness in the nation’s higher education system.
The President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has withdrawn the petition he submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against Farouk Ahmed, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The petition was formally withdrawn through Dangote’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN).
According to Daily Trust, sources said the business mogul withdrew the petition after another government agency took over the matter.
Dangote had, in December, petitioned the ICPC, urging the anti-graft agency to prosecute Ahmed over allegations that he abused the powers of his office to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain and private interests, to the detriment of Nigerians.
At the time, Dangote maintained that he had substantial facts to support the allegations against the former regulatory chief.
Confirming the development, the ICPC spokesperson, John Odey, told journalists on Wednesday night that the petition had been withdrawn.
However, Odey stressed that the withdrawal would not halt the Commission’s actions on the matter.
In a statement issued shortly after the confirmation, the ICPC spokesperson said the agency would continue to investigate the allegations in line with its statutory responsibilities.
According to him, the Commission’s decision to proceed with the probe is guided by the principles of transparency, accountability and the broader fight against corruption.
“Despite the withdrawal of the petition, the Commission will continue to investigate the matter in line with its statutory mandate,” Odey said.
He added that the ongoing investigation was in the public interest and aimed at strengthening governance accountability.
The development comes amid sustained public scrutiny of regulatory agencies and renewed calls for transparency in the management of public resources.