THE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar has declared that Nigeria will not yield to pressure from the United States under President Donald Trump to accept Venezuelan deportees.
Speaking in an interview today, Tuggar said Nigeria is already facing significant domestic challenges and cannot become a “dumping ground” for Venezuelan prisoners being deported amid the U.S. administration’s tough immigration crackdown.
“We have enough of our own problems. We cannot accept Venezuelan deportees—especially prisoners—into Nigeria. We already have a population of 230 million,” Tuggar stated.
The minister also addressed the recent BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro from July 6 to 7, 2025, where President Bola Tinubu joined other global leaders.
Following the summit, President Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on BRICS countries, including Nigeria, China, and India—labeling them “anti-American.”
Tuggar downplayed the link between Nigeria’s BRICS participation and the proposed tariffs, noting that the U.S. has also been urging African countries to receive deported Venezuelans, some of whom are convicts.
Regarding international relations, the minister revealed that Nigeria has initiated diplomatic discussions with the U.S. concerning its recent visa restrictions, which now limit Nigerian non-immigrant visas to three months, single entry. He also described the UAE’s visa ban on Nigerians as unfortunate.
Nigeria officially became a partner country in BRICS+ in January 2025. The expanded BRICS group—which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE—represents about 37% of global GDP and nearly half of the world’s population, challenging the economic dominance of Western nations.