A new US visa policy that requires Nigerian visa applicants to reveal their social media profiles and activities over the previous five years at the time of application has been vowed to be reciprocated by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
According to the US Mission, Nigerian visa applicants must include a detailed list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, as reported by Techpression on Monday.
It cautioned that failing to provide the information might result in visa rejections and possible disqualification for subsequent U.S. visas.
The US Mission said, “Visa applicants must list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form.
“Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.”
Nigeria to ask US visa applicants to submit social media history
Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, responded to the news on Monday by saying that the Ministry is aware of it and was notified by the US Mission in Nigeria before the announcement.
Nonetheless, he stated that the FG would take reciprocal action, emphasising that US nationals planning to travel to Nigeria would face the same restrictions.
“We are aware of the development. I think it’s part of the new measures they informed us about before now that they will implement. Well, they mentioned those issues before.”
“So, on things of this nature, the best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures.”
‘’I think that’s what the government might do because anything visa is reciprocal. What you are mandating our nationals to do, we will also mandate your citizens applying for our visa to do,’’ he said.
Nigeria to meet with stakeholders before making decision
He added that the FG will hold an interagency meeting to decide how best to react to the new visa regulation.
Ebienfa added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Intelligence Agency would all attend the government’s inclusive meeting.
“So, the stakeholders involved will have a meeting and agree on our best way to respond holistically,” he concluded.