The Federal Government has vowed not to give in to pressure from the Donald Trump administration to accept Venezuelan deportees from the United States.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, stated that it would be difficult for Nigeria to accept Venezuelan deportees from the United States, because the country already has problem of its own.
President Bola Tinubu joined other world leaders to attend the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 6 to 7, 2025.
On the final day of the summit held by the 11-member economic and political force with Chinese influence, US President Donald Trump announced his decision to impose an extra 10 per cent trade tariff on “anti-American” BRICS nations, including China, India, and Nigeria.
Speaking on the development during an appearance on Channels Television, Tuggar stated that the tariff hike threat might not have to do with Nigeria’s participation in the BRICS summit.
He explained that the United States was mounting pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans deported from the United States.
Tuggar, however, stated that Nigeria already has 230 million people, and it would be difficult to accept the Venezuelan deportees.
Tuggar said, “The issue of tariffs may not necessarily have to do with us participating in the BRICS meeting.
“You have to also 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.
“It would be difficult for countries like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own; we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria. We already have 230 million people.”
The minister said the Tinubu administration has started talks with the US over the fresh visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian nationals.
However, he described the fresh visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian travellers by the United Arab Emirates as regrettable.
In January 2025, Nigeria accepted an invitation to join BRICS+ as a partner country.
BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, was created in 2006 as a bloc that brings together the world’s most developing economies to challenge the political and economic power of the wealthier nations of North America and Western Europe.
The bloc, now called BRICS+, later admitted new members including Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
BRICS+ accounts for about 37% of the world’s GDP. The bloc’s members account for about half the world’s population and 40 per cent of global economic output.