Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Nurudeen Mohammed, has attributed the partial travel ban imposed on Nigeria by the United States to the country’s prolonged absence of diplomatic representation and unchecked negative narratives at home.
Mohammed made the remarks on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, on Wednesday.
Naijaonpoint reports that he said Nigeria’s inability to tell “her side of the story” internationally has contributed to the punitive travel restrictions.
“The conversation within Nigeria was very toxic, and nobody was speaking on our behalf. All of these, having been left unchecked, collided with the Trump presidency, which isn’t here to joke,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria has been without ambassadors for two years, a situation he believes weakened the country’s position on the global stage.
“Unfortunately, at the global levels… the country has been without representation that can never be ignored for more than two years, where these unsavoury voices, so to say, were left unchecked. Our side of the story was never heard,” Mohammed added.
The former minister lamented what he described as “infamous visibility” for Nigeria, saying the nation has been “dragged from so many directions, both domestically and internationally.”
“It’s a very difficult time for Nigeria, and we have been discussing here… we have been unfortunate,” he said.
He argued that domestic conversations were sometimes “weaponised” at the international level, compounding the country’s diplomatic challenges.
“How we handle issues of terrorism, banditry, whatever we call it. An Army General was caught alive and shot on live camera,” Mohammed stated.