The United States Mission in Nigeria has defended its new visa policy requiring Nigerian applicants to disclose all social media usernames and handles used in the past five years.
In a statement released Monday, the Mission stressed that “the safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every visa application and decision process,” adding that careful vetting helps protect American citizens and foster responsible travel.
The directive, announced last week, mandates applicants to provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa form, warning that omission of such information could lead to visa denials.
Reacting to the move, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would introduce similar requirements for U.S. citizens seeking Nigerian visas. Ministry spokesman Kimiebi Ebienfa stated, “The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the U.S. might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures.”
