Trump’s Travel Ban: What Nigerian’s Really Bring to the Table

This post has been revised from its original format. The headline has changed. The article now includes added information regarding how many people in Africa would be affected by the addition of Nigeria to the ban, and linked it to the New York Times article that stated the amount. Information was added on how many visas were issued in 2018 and 2019 and linked the sources. More information was provided on how Nigerians contribute to the economy, drawing from the CNN analysis done and utilizing percentages and what types of jobs they are in. Information from the ban proclamation was also added. It explains why Nigeria was added to the travel ban, which is connected to the transparency issue Mr. Afolabi was quoted on. NOTE: When the text said “oversee,” it meant just that, as in watch over the operation.

READING, Pa. — President Donald Trump’s addition of Nigeria and five other countries to his restricted travel list has sparked panic in Nigerian families and business owners. According to proclamation, each country was issued the ban due to circumstances that either had to do with terrorist groups and/or immigration. Nigeria was added due to the threat of members from Boko Haram seeking to enter the United States, as well as the opaqueness of the Nigerian government on providing information on immigrants. 

Olusola Afolabi came to the US in 2004 with his family when his wife won the Nigerian diversity visa lottery. Although Nigerians are not eligible for the lottery anymore, when it was in place, many would strive to receive it, due to its simplicity. “You mail your application, then it’s rolled like a lottery number,” Afolabi explained. “If your number is picked, you get it. That person can then bring their spouse and children with them as well.” In 2018, the amount of immigrant visas issued to Nigerians was 7,922. In 2019, the number was 6,746.

Afolabi has lived in Maryland with his family for 16 years. He explained that when he heard the news about adding Nigeria to the ban, he couldn’t believe it, especially because of the relationship between the US and Nigeria. Expanding the ban will affect almost 25% of the people in Africa.

Afolabi thinks that the ban could be a political move, not having to do with terrorism or racism. “Nigeria is not transparent enough; the issue stems from corruption in Nigeria and not cooperating with the US,” he explained. According to the ban proclamation, Nigeria is not forthcoming on identifying immigrants and sharing information about them. The country also does not “adequately share public-safety and terrorism-related information, which is necessary for the protection of the national security and public safety of the United States.” 

“Trump is putting terrorism into it, saying that he’s doing this in the name of ending it, yet what he really wants are people who will benefit the US economically and wont be dependent on the US, which is what immigrants are sometimes,” Afolabi said. An analysis done by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, however, shows that Nigerians aren’t dependent on the US, but helping it.  His analysis found that 59% of Nigerians aged 25 and older at least have a bachelor’s degree and that 54% of Nigerian immigrants “are in largely white-collar positions in business, management, science, and the art compared to the 39 per cent of people born in the US.”

Elaborating on this, Afolabi explains that at the end of the day, this move is disadvantageous. “Nigeria is a partner of the US in fighting terrorism. The ban affects many businessmen in Nigeria because Nigerians come to the US to do business. The ban is definitely going to affect transparency.” 

Albright College sophomore Victoria Sogbesan is thankful that the news hasn’t affected her and her family yet. She finds the addition of Nigeria to be insulting, showing her that Trump must really hate her country, especially since he’s slandered the country in the past. “The US has benefited so much from Nigeria when it comes to resources and trading,” she said. “But the reason Nigeria is a part of the ban list is because we pose a security risk to the US, which is reasonable, even though no terrorist attack has been made by a Nigerian.” Sogbesan does feel that this ban could be an opportunity to make Nigeria better and try to resolve the corruption that many Nigerian citizens are suffering from.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari wrote in Newsweek in 2018, after his initial meeting with Trump on how new relations with the US is helping Nigeria. Looking at this, Afolabi explains that the ban is going to cause Nigeria to be distrustful of the US. “Immigration will be reduced,” he said. “It’s going to open Nigeria up to other countries. They’re going to look to other nations to do business with instead of the US. Businessmen want to do their business.”

Joseph Ogundeyi, Co-President of a young adult-run nonprofit, Restoring Hope International, explained that the ban could prove problematic to businesses if Nigeria decides to retaliate. “Nigeria could halt visas,” he explained. His nonprofit is planning on establishing an account in Nigeria and sending money to create needed buildings and resources in the area. The ban and Nigeria reciprocating would affect the operation and investing. “I’m the only one in the organization who is Nigerian, born and raised,” Ogundeyi said. “I would be the only one who’d be able to go and oversee and check on the operations, and what if I can’t travel there all the time? I can’t be the only one going back and forth. It would affect the group fundamental of the organization and proceeding with future plans.” 

In addition to the foreign relations and business liabilities of the ban, Nigerians are concerned about family. Ogundeyi explained that Nigerians are very big on family and will go “above and beyond” for those in their families. “The family unit is what makes Nigerians so successful in what they do because they support each other no matter what,” he said. “The ban is hurting the family unit. By separating us it is minimizing the support systems that have been built up for generations.” 

Afolabi explained that the ban affected him personally because “when you have in mind to invite your family members, they will now have learned a trade, been more educated to fit in with the US.” Nigerians will spend money and time to better themselves, and now their hopes have been dashed. They took the time, spent the money, and now don’t have the opportunity to use what they spent it on. “They may not have the job that they studied for available in Nigeria,” he explained. “For example, IT jobs are getting big. People in Nigeria are studying, getting trained in the IT field and now they can’t come to the US for that job.” 

Afolabi also explained that many Nigerians had connections with Nigerians in the US and they wanted to visit and/or live with them and now they can’t. The ban is also creating some fear for Nigerians who want to travel outside the US because they are afraid they won’t be able to reenter the US.