Nigeria Rejects U.S. Pressure to Accept Venezuelan Deportees — Foreign Minister
Abuja, July 10, 2025 — The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has disclosed that the United States is pressuring African nations, including Nigeria, to accept Venezuelan deportees — some of whom are reportedly ex-convicts — a proposal he said would be “difficult” for Nigeria to accept.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Tuggar firmly rejected the idea, stressing that Nigeria is already grappling with internal challenges and cannot afford to bear the burden of foreign deportees from other continents.
“We cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria, for crying out loud. We already have 230 million people,” Tuggar stated. “You will be the same people to criticise us if we agree to bring in Venezuelans from U.S. prisons.”
The minister revealed that the deportees in question include individuals with criminal records, noting that Washington is seeking African countries to serve as receiving grounds for these individuals.
“It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own,” he said.
Tuggar also addressed recent reports regarding new 10 per cent tariffs imposed on Nigerian goods by the United States, suggesting that the decision may not be linked to President Bola Tinubu’s participation in the BRICS summit.
“The issue of tariffs may not necessarily have to do with us participating in BRICS,” he clarified, urging observers to consider broader geopolitical and economic contexts.
The minister’s comments come amid growing global tension over migration, trade, and diplomatic alignments, as developing nations like Nigeria navigate competing international interests.
