Nigeria: US sets benchmarks for visa ban review

By Olarewaju Kola

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AA) -The U.S. has given Nigeria fresh conditions for a review of the visa ban on Nigerian immigrants announced last month, local media reported.

Nigeria must improve on its data intelligence to ease the investigation of its citizens wishing to migrate to the U.S., Mary-Beth Leonard, the U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, said in the capital Abuja Tuesday during a meeting with Nigerian Labour and Employment minister Chris Ngige.

Leonard also asked Nigeria to meet the expected standard of information-sharing, including on the issues of terrorism and global crimes.

"We look forward to Nigeria in a very short while being able to meet those information-sharing goals so that the decision can be reviewed," the envoy said.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 31 announced a visa ban for immigrants from Nigeria and five other countries.

Critics have charged the ban lacks merit and is meant to exclude Muslim immigrants, something Trump pledged to enact when running for president.