Monday, December 22, 2025 - For Nigerians abroad, the festive season affectionately known as “Detty December”, is typically a period of vibrant homecoming, high-octane concerts, and long-awaited family reunions.
However, this year, the atmosphere comes with mixed feelings
especially for Nigerians coming from the United States (US) for holidays in
Nigeria, as reports indicates that thousands abruptly cancelled their travel
plans, fearing that the new travel bans and harsh policies will prevent them
from returning back.
The catalyst for this widespread panic is Trump’s
administration directive effective from January 1, 2026. The policy partially
suspends the issuance of non-immigrant visas for 19 countries, with Nigeria at
the forefront.
While the White House justifies the move as a necessity for
national security and a response to visa overstays, the policy specifically
targets vital pathways: B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, and J student and
exchange visas.
The impact has turned the holiday season into a period of
strategic retreat for the diaspora.
The anxiety is not confined to temporary visitors; but also
the lives of long-term residents and even Green Card holders.
“Travelling to Nigeria at this juncture could jeopardise my
entire political future,” stated Dr Juliette Agocha, a Nigerian politician
contesting a local election in Prince George’s County. “Thousands of us are
caught in this net of uncertainty. For many, the risk of being locked out of
the country where we have built our lives and careers is simply too great to
ignore.”
Students stuck between academics and families
The academic community has been hit especially hard, with reports of
“campus-wide panic” as doctoral candidates and undergraduates realise that
every trip home is now a high-stakes gamble.
“Students are calling home in tears, explaining to their
parents why they won’t be at the dinner table this Christmas,” shared a
doctoral student at Indiana University. “There is a terrifying fear that if we
leave, our return will be interpreted through a new, harsher lens, potentially
ending our academic journeys prematurely. For many of us, it could compromise
years of work.”
Even those within Nigeria who hold valid visas are shelving
travel plans to avoid the financial and emotional toll of potential
deportation.
A businessman from Osun State recounted his experience
involving a relative, stating,
“I cancelled my trip after a close relative, a frequent
traveller and a Green Card holder, was detained upon arrival in Houston,” he
revealed. “If even those with permanent residency are being held and
interrogated, then no Nigerian is truly safe under this current regime. I
refuse to spend millions on airfares only to be treated like a criminal at the
port of entry.”
Financial fallout and the pivot to the UK
The disruption extends far beyond the holiday.
Analysts estimate that Nigeria could lose between $3 billion
and $4 billion in remittances and economic activity if these barriers persist.
Furthermore, some US universities have already begun deferring admission offers
for Nigerian applicants until 2027.
Education consultants such as Blessing George, of Bee Voyage
Travels and Tours in Lagos, have branded the policy as unfortunate, noting
that it is driving a massive shift in interest toward more predictable
destinations.
“The US is no longer the reliable partner it once was for
talent,” noted foreign affairs analyst Charles Onunaiju. “We are seeing a
significant pivot toward the United Kingdom and Canada. Nigeria must diversify
its diplomacy; we cannot remain dependent on a single corridor that has become
so volatile and unpredictable.”
As the January 1, 2026 deadline approaches, the Detty
December celebrations continue in Lagos and Abuja, but they do so with a heavy
heart. For thousands of diaspora families, the chairs at the Christmas dinner
table will remain empty this year, replaced by a sober atmosphere of caution
and unanswered questions.
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