Nigeria Will Resist US Pressure to Accept Venezuelan Deportees – FG

By Emmanuel Kwada

Nigeria will not yield to pressure from the United States to accept Venezuelan deportees, including prisoners, amid President Donald Trump’s intensified crackdown on undocumented migrants, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar declared on Thursday.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Tuggar emphasized that Nigeria, with its population of 230 million and existing challenges, will not serve as a “dumping ground” for deportees. The statement comes on the heels of the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held from July 6-7, 2025, where President Bola Tinubu joined leaders of the 11-member BRICS+ bloc, a group representing 37% of global GDP and nearly half the world’s population.

During the summit, Trump announced a 10% trade tariff on BRICS nations, including Nigeria, China, and India, labeling them “anti-American.” Tuggar downplayed the tariff threat’s connection to Nigeria’s BRICS participation, suggesting it may be tied to US demands for African nations to accept Venezuelan deportees.

“You have to bear in mind that the US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prisons,” Tuggar said.

“It would be difficult for Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners. We have enough problems of our own.” The minister also addressed new US visa restrictions on Nigerian nationals, noting that the Tinubu administration has initiated discussions with Washington.

It would be difficult for Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners. We have enough problems of our own

He called the UAE’s recent visa restrictions on Nigerians “regrettable,” signaling broader diplomatic tensions. Nigeria’s defiance underscores its growing alignment with BRICS+, which it joined as a partner country in January 2025.

The bloc, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE, challenging the economic dominance of North America and Western Europe. As global tensions rise, Nigeria’s stance signals a bold assertion of sovereignty amid competing international pressures.

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