The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Economic Community of West African States Mediation and Security Council, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has raised concerns over the apparent inclusion of all ECOWAS member states in a new wave of United States visa restrictions, describing the policy as a significant barrier to trade, diplomacy, and regional prosperity.

Speaking at the opening of the 54th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council at the Ministerial Level in Abuja on Wednesday, Tuggar warned that such restrictions could stifle efforts to deepen US-West Africa relations, particularly at a time when the region is ripe for economic cooperation and security collaboration.

The minister expressed concern, “It would be most unfortunate if it comes to pass, because we are a region of opportunities ready to do deals.

“We would like to do deals with the US, but visa restrictions are non-tariff barriers to deals.”

Tuggar framed the policy not only as a diplomatic misstep but also as an economic missed opportunity, especially given ECOWAS’s vast resource base.

“We possess critical minerals and even rare earths such as Samarium from the Monazite found in my home State of Bauchi.

“We in this part of the world are students of the Art of the Deal and have been part of the international trading system even before the modern state system,” he added.

He further called on Washington to re-evaluate its approach, stressing that West Africa is not lacking in potential partners.

“ECOWAS countries and the US have a rare opportunity to create a partnership based on principles of need. We are also a strategic alternative to more distant and politically divergent energy producers.

“We will do deals for our prosperity; the only question is with whom? Who takes up the opportunities in our region by allowing government officials and technocrats, business executives and entrepreneurs to travel freely back and forth to close the deals?” he questioned.

United States President Donald Trump is considering imposing a travel ban on Nigeria and a host of other countries, mostly from Africa.

The affected countries are expected to meet new requirements laid down by the State Department within 60 days.

“The new list includes Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

“The memo identified varied benchmarks that, in the administration’s estimation, these countries were failing to meet. Some countries had “no competent or cooperative central government authority to produce reliable identity documents or other civil documents,” or they suffered from widespread government fraud.” (The PUNCH)