Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Kingsley Moghalu has reacted to the latest visa ban and travel restrictions announced by United States President Donald Trump on Nigeria and 18 other countries.
He argued that international relations should be viewed
through the lens of national interest rather than morality.
In a statement shared on X, Moghalu said on Tuesday that he
was “amused” by criticisms that judge foreign policy decisions solely on moral
grounds, stressing that geopolitics is fundamentally about protecting national
interests as defined by each country.
According to him, President Trump’s decision is consistent
with America’s assessment of its own interests, whether driven by security,
economic, military, or even moral considerations such as concerns about
religious freedom.
“@POTUS @realDonaldTrump is acting in the interests he has
defined for his country,” Moghalu said, adding that the motivation behind such
interests “doesn’t matter.”
Instead, Moghalu challenged Nigeria and Africa to focus
inward, questioning whether the continent has a coherent strategy to protect
its own people. He specifically cited insecurity in the Sahel and the spread of
terrorism, asking whether decisive action against these threats truly serves
the interests of ordinary Nigerians.
He clarified that his comments were not in defense of
corrupt elites, whom he described as “economic terrorists” in their own right,
but rather in support of the average citizen seeking safety and stability amid
worsening insecurity.
Moghalu further argued that Africa has long been misled by
foreign actors who claim to support the continent while pursuing policies that,
in practice, deepen poverty, insecurity, and instability.
On immigration, he acknowledged that seeking better
opportunities abroad is natural but insisted that every sovereign nation has
the right to regulate immigration, particularly illegal migration, into its
territory.
He welcomed recent clarifications issued by the United
States Embassy in Nigeria, describing them as “sensible and appropriate” from
the standpoint of US national policy.
Moghalu also pointed to Nigeria’s porous borders, noting
that criminal elements often exploit weak border controls to destabilize the
country. He said this reality does not invalidate the right of more
security-conscious nations to protect their territories.
He argued that Nigeria’s internal governance failures do not
entitle its citizens to unrestricted access to other countries, lamenting what
he described as missed opportunities for political change at home.
“The fact that Nigeria’s borders are porous and all sorts of
criminals come in and operate as destabilizing agents or fake voters does not
mean more serious countries don’t have a right to protect their homeland from
being overrun by others. And the fact that we have failed to rise up against
our oppressors at home and change our destiny on the ground (some of us offered
ourselves years ago, but the people preferred those who buy their votes but
have no plans for their welfare) does not give us an entitlement to another
man’s land.”
Moghalu’s comments follpws the US visa restrictions
affecting Nigeria and 18 other countries, expected to take effect from January
1, 2026, and have sparked widespread debate across diplomatic, political, and
civil society circles.
In a statement on Monday, the US Embassy in Nigeria said the
country will begin a partial suspension of visa issuance to Nigerians from
January 1, 2026, following a new presidential proclamation aimed at
strengthening border and national security.
Nigeria is one of 19 countries affected by the measure.
Others listed are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire,
Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo,
Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The proclamation provides for a partial suspension of visa
issuance covering nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, as well as F, M, and J
student and exchange visitor visas. It also applies to immigrant visas, though
with limited exceptions.
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