Nigeria is standing its ground against a controversial deportation plan from the United States under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Unlike Rwanda, Eswatini, and South Sudan, which recently agreed to accept deportees from the US, including those convicted of crimes, Nigeria says it will not be a dumping ground.

Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa reaffirmed the country’s stance, citing national security risks and economic strain as key reasons for the refusal.

Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar revealed in July that Washington is pressuring African nations to take in Venezuelan nationals expelled from the US, some directly from prisons, under Trump’s “third-country deportation” policy.

“We have enough problems of our own,” Tuggar stressed. “We cannot accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. For crying out loud, we already have 230 million people to care for.”

The US has been tightening its visa rules for Nigerian citizens. In June, the State Department announced that most Nigerians applying for non-immigrant, non-diplomatic visas will now only get single-entry visas valid for three months, a sharp shift from previous arrangements.

Under US law, countries that refuse deportation deals risk visa sanctions. Trump’s team has already flexed this power. In April, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and blocked new ones after the country initially refused to take back its repatriated citizens.

For now, Nigeria is making it clear it won’t bow to deportation pressure, even if it comes with diplomatic threats.