Qatar has introduced sweeping new visa restrictions barring Nigerian men from travelling alone, a move set to disrupt transit and business travel across the Gulf state.
Under rules enforced by Qatar’s Ministry of Interior from 5 September 2025, only women and families are now eligible to obtain tourist or transit visas. Nigerian men travelling independently will no longer be approved unless accompanied by family members.
The new requirements also mandate that all applicants present a confirmed return transfer and proof of accommodation exclusively in five-star hotels before visas are processed.
Doha says the policy aims to curb overstays, but the decision has sparked concern in Nigeria, where many travellers rely on Qatar as a key transit hub for routes to Asia and Europe. The rules are expected to hit business executives, students, and professionals particularly hard, with higher travel costs and fewer independent options.
Nigeria and Qatar have previously held talks on easing entry barriers, with appeals in 2019 by then Senate President Bukola Saraki and in 2023 by former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika. However, the latest move signals a sharp tightening of mobility for Nigerians, particularly men travelling solo.
For now, independent travel for Nigerian men to Qatar has effectively been shut down reshaping travel choices and straining bilateral ties between the two nations.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
