Former Lagos State Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola on Tuesday urged Nigeria’s federal government to take a firm stance in response to international visa restrictions, saying the country should not resort to pleading with other nations for access.
Fashola spoke at the inaugural Nigeria Reputation Summit organized by the Nigerian Reputation Management Group in Abuja. He said Nigeria’s response to visa denials and travel bans carries reputational consequences that extend beyond diplomacy.
His comments came amid new travel restrictions announced by the United States, which took effect Jan. 1, 2026, following Presidential Proclamation 10998 aimed at tightening border and national security controls. The measures also include the suspension of immigrant visa processing for Nigerians and nationals of several other countries, including Russia, Somalia, Brazil and Afghanistan.
Fashola cautioned against what he described as a submissive or apologetic posture, arguing that Nigeria still wields economic leverage through the spending power of its citizens abroad.
“We are at the point where some countries have the audacity to tell us, ‘Don’t come to our country,’” he said. “The question is: are we submissive and surrendering and apologetic, or are we really the giants that we are?”
He said Nigerians contribute significantly to economies in countries where they travel, study or do business, and that this reality should inform the government’s response.
“One of the things I learned very early in life is the power of the customer who is spending money,” Fashola said. “In all of those places where they are harassing us today, we go there and spend real money.”
The former minister stressed that asserting national pride does not mean excusing wrongdoing by Nigerians abroad. Rather, he said, it requires a careful balance between addressing reputational challenges and protecting the country’s dignity.
“From a place of national pride, not a place of support for bad behavior, let us rethink how we approach these things,” he said, likening visa bans to a neighbor barring visits. “Would you really be pleading with your neighbor?”
