The Federal Government has vowed to reciprocate a new US visa policy that demands Nigerian visa applicants divulge their social media profiles and activity in the last five years during application.
Chronicle NG reports that the US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants are obliged to provide a full list of their social media details on the DS-160 visa application form.
It warned that missing the material might lead to visa denials and potential ineligibility for future U.S. visas.
The US Mission said, “Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form.”
“Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.”
On Monday, Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the Ministry is aware of the development and was informed ahead of the announcement by the US Mission in Nigeria.
He also stated that the FG will take reciprocal action, ensuring that US citizens visiting Nigeria face the same measures.
“We are aware of the development. I think it’s part of the new measures they informed us about before now that they will implement. Well, they mentioned those issues before.
“So, on things of this nature, the best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures.
‘’I think that’s what the government might do because any visa is reciprocal. What you are mandating our nationals to do, we will also mandate your citizens applying for our visa to do,’’ he said.
Continuing, he stated that the FG will hold an inter-agency conference to discuss the best method to respond to the new visa regulation.
Ebienfa went on to say that the government will hold an inclusive conference that would include the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior, as well as our National Intelligence Agency.
“So, the stakeholders that are involved will have a meeting and agree on our best way to respond to it holistically.”
